


94 days for love

by lewispanda



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Baking, Cooking, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Minor Character Death, Multi, Slow Burn, mention of homophobic stereotypes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-05-07 09:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 43,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14668476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lewispanda/pseuds/lewispanda
Summary: Alexander Lightwood is happy. He has a stable job, loving family and is a father to a 7-year-old Ben - a boy with wild imagination. His life feels complete and he doesn’t wish to change it.Enters Magnus Bane. His second bakery has just opened in Prospect Park, next to the path Alec and his son take to school every morning. He is energetic and a true match for Ben’s creativeness. As the three grow closer Alec and Magnus have to decide what to do with the connection neither of them expected to form.





	1. 21st of March

**Author's Note:**

> A bouquet of flowers and a big hug for my amazing beta (and a great friend) enkelimagnus. Her works inspired me to start writing and to try my best at it. She had also suffered through hours of me moaning about not knowing what to do with Alec's plot and fixed all my countless gramma mistakes. Thank you for all of this.
> 
> You should all check out her works and follow her on tumblr.
> 
> Also a huge thanks to two other people who helped me work on this piece. There is a bag of home-made cookies waiting for you to collect.
> 
> Another 'thank you' goes to wonderfull Jess who organised the whole event.
> 
> And the last one is meant for all the creators and readers. Thank you for creating amazing works and thank you for leaving kudos and commenting.

“And then the space king climbed the tree and threw the magical lizards at them! Just like this!” Ben turned around to walk backwards and wiggled his little arms in the air, imitating throwing deadly animals at the space king’s enemies. “Pow! Pow! Pow! Raaaa!” Now, the lizards were biting the aliens, decimating the evil army. Alec shook his head with fondness and gently turned Ben around so he could see where he was going. 

“I thought the space king could freeze his enemies with his eyes?” The older man grabbed the strap of the Star Wars backpack he was carrying to make sure it wouldn’t slide down his arm. It held the drawing Ben made for him at school to celebrate the first day of spring and Alec didn’t want to wrinkle it. It would be hanged on their fridge later. “So why did he summon his lizards?”

“Because lizards are cool, Alec.” Ben rolled his eyes and sighed loudly to show how stupid he thought his legal guardian was. “I would never use my eye powers if I had lizards. Everyone knows that. They teach this at school.”

“Yeah?” Lightwood smiled and picked up the little boy who squeaked in delight. “My school was really boring, then. They only told us how to do math and name the presidents. No amazing lizards.”

Ben squirmed in his grasp until Alec put him back on the ground and the boy took off running. Prospect Park was fairly quiet and empty during this time of the week so keeping an eye on the boy’s mop of curly brown hair wasn’t that hard. Besides, Ben glanced back every now and then to see if ‘Alec hadn’t gotten lost’. The boy jumped over a few puddles of water, managing not to land in any of them and get water all over his clothes, going on a search for a space rock for his collection. The snow that had fallen in the last few days had mostly melted by now which made his quest easier but also meant that once he came back to Alec the sleeves of his yellow jacket and his boots were covered in mud. ‘I should have bought him the dark ones, just like I thought, and not let Izzy talk me into this.’ the man thought while staring at the stark contrast between light blue boots and brown splashes of mud, knowing he would have to clean everything later.

“Have you found anything interesting, bud?” Alec’s hand landed on the warm beanie that was covering Ben’s head. It was still cold in NYC and the man didn’t want for the boy to catch a cold. Ben shook his head sadly and kicked a pile of leftover dirty snow, some of it landing on Alec’s pants by accident. Crap. He would have to wipe it clean before going back to work.

Every Wednesday and Friday, Alec would spend his lunch break picking Ben up from elementary school and walking him home through Prospect Park. Miss Josie would be already waiting for her neighbors with something warm for Ben to eat. Alexander was eternally grateful to not only have found a decent apartment for a decent price in this part of the city but also to have an amazing elderly neighbor who loved to look after Ben since she didn’t have her own children or grandchildren. Without her, the man would have to find a nanny for his boy and probably spend more money than Miss Josie allowed him to pay her. He wasn’t sure it even covered the food expenses but the woman was stubborn and claimed she took great joy in watching over such a talented young mind.

Suddenly Alec felt a pull on his hand and looked down. “What is it?”

“Look.” Ben pointed towards the small building.

For the last few months, every time they took that route, they watched a one store building being built. Probably another restaurant or a cafe. Even from this far, Alec had to admit that the place looked neat and nice, fitting into the atmosphere of the park. The light gray building had green and white touches to it. It stood out slightly against the old grass and remaining snow but once the trees bloomed, it would meld effortlessly with its surroundings.

“There are balloons.” Ben whispered conspiratiously. Indeed, bright pink and white balloons were attached to the front. Moreover, people seemed to be walking in and out of the building and this time they didn’t look like construction workers. Somewhere between Sunday and today, they had to have opened their business to customers. “Alec.” Even before looking down, the Lightwood knew what was coming. When he did, big brown eyes were staring up at him, pleadingly, in a way Alec was sure the boy had learned from Izzy. “Can we go?”

The man took out his phone from the pocket of his coat and glanced down at the screen. He still had 35 minutes of his lunch break. Enough time to go and check out the place quickly.

“Maybe we will get a balloon.” Ben added as if this could be the dealbreaker for his guardian, tugging on his hand again.

“Alright.” Alec said with a smile and tightly held the small hand in his, much bigger one, so the boy wouldn’t run there alone. From this distance, he couldn’t see what was inside and they didn’t have time to sit there and order lunch. If it was indeed a restaurant, he would have to convince Ben to come back another time or hope that those brown eyes would get the child his prized balloon anyway. 

Alec only had time to read ‘coffee’ on the front window before he was pulled inside by the persistent munchkin. The first thing that hit him was the smell. Sugary pastries and hot loafs of bread mixed with coffee. In one word - heaven. The glass display hid so many kinds of baked goods Alec was sure he would have to eat here every day for a month to try all of them. Wicker baskets placed on the wall behind the counter held bread, bagels, buns, cinnamon rolls and even a few croissants. On the far left, someone was operating a coffee machine that hissed and on the right, in front of the counter, stood a few small tables with chairs.

Another tug on his hand reminded him that he wasn’t there to stare.

As soon as he let go of Ben’s hand, the boy glued himself to the glass display, eyeing all the delicious pastries while Alec stood in the line. It was long but people were being served really fast, for which Alec wanted to give the staff a huge star. Nothing worse than being stuck in a queue. Ben ran back to him and signaled for his guardian to pick him up, soon buzzing with energy in his arms.

“Have you picked what you want?” The boy nodded eagerly and Alec’s shoulders shook with barely contained laughter. Seriously, how did kids manage to be so lively after hours of classes and physical activities? Right now Alec wanted nothing more than to take a nap.

“And what can I get for this fine gentleman and his dad?” A warm voice greeted Alec and it was then that he took a closer look at the man behind the counter. He was wearing a simple linen apron over a dark red henley. The man’s features were very handsome and he had perfectly styled black hair - buzzed sides with longer bangs pushed back, one streak falling almost to the man’s eyes. It looked like an effortless hairstyle yet Alec knew the man had needed time to make it look like that. The man’s eyes were brown, framed by soft laugh lines and gold eyeliner and they were now watching Ben with fondness. A light goatee made the man look hipster and young, fitting well with the Brooklyn crowd. Alec had to stop himself before he could glance down at man’s lips because he thought that would be just inappropriate. There was a difference between taking in someone’s appearance and blatantly checking them out in public and he had no intention of doing the latter.

“A warlock.” Ben whispered with awe, loud enough for both Alec and the man to hear, and Lightwood became sure his boy wouldn’t get that balloon after all. Ben had a huge imagination and loved to make up stories but most adults just got annoyed at his antics. Being called a ‘dog’, an ‘ogre’ or even a ‘witch’ wasn’t what most would like to hear, after all. Instead of glaring though, the man just leaned over the counter and whispered back.

“You can’t tell anyone my secret.” He wiggled his fingers - which had many rings on, Alec noticed - in front of Ben’s face then leaned back. “So which of the pastries do you want?”

“I want you to magic a new one!” Ben wiggled in Alec’s grasp and the man could hear the customer behind them getting impatient, so Alec took over the conversation “Two of your…” he glanced at the display and picked up the name of the first thing he saw. “banana muffins, please.” 

“But…” Ben turned in Alec’s grasp and glared at him. Realizing that, the man behind the counter stepped in. “I’ll be right back.”

‘Great.’ Alec thought. ‘He’s going for someone to get us out before Ben starts crying and scares off the customers.’ The lady behind them was already huffing loudly as the little boy’s lips started to tremble.

“Here I come.” The man came back quickly with a white box that held two cupcakes decorated with green frosting and yellow sugar flowers. “I hope this lives up to your standards.” He winked and Ben grinned, eyeing the treats before the man closed the box and rung them up. Alec paid him quickly then took the box. “Have a nice day.” The man said then waved at Ben before turning to the next customer. 

Alec put the boy down so he could reach for the handle and open the door. 

“Can we eat them now?” Ben eyed the white box, forgetting all about the balloon he had wanted to get. 

“After you eat what Miss Josie cooked for you, you can eat yours.” Alec answered then glanced at his phone again. Shit. They needed to hurry if he wanted to make it back and have time to eat his own cupcake. Or lunch.

“Can I eat yours?” Alec glanced down with disbelief. “So it won’t feel lonely, waiting for you at home.” ‘This little munchkin.’ the man thought as he shook his head with a small smile on his face. “Me and my cupcake will be just fine, no need to worry.” Ben just shrugged in a clear ‘was worth trying’ manner and reached for Alec’s hand as they got closer to the street.

\-----

‘Shit’ Alec thought as he closed the door to their apartment behind them. Miss Josie. He should have bought one cupcake for her as well. ‘I guess I will go on that diet sooner than planned.’ he sighed sadly and placed the box down on the shoe cabinet before hanging his keys and taking off his hat and gloves. He had learned long ago that it was easier to start wearing them to give Ben a good example instead of following an old parenting rule ‘I am a parent and I said you should do it so you do as I say even though I’m doing things differently.’ He wasn’t Ben’s blood. Just a legal guardian. But it didn’t mean his influence on the boy wasn’t important. Alec was the dad, the person that loved Ben the most in the world. He was the one responsible for his well being, the one who would put him through college and the one Ben - hopefully - looked up to. Setting a good example was important.

Speaking of Ben. “And where do you think you are going?” Alec eyed the boy as he stopped in the entryway to the living room, his muddy shoes still on. The yellow jacket was hung and the beanie and gloves were on their rightful place but the munchkin had decided that whatever he wanted to do was more important than not leaving stains on their carpet.

In response, Alec just got another eye roll so he leveled Ben with a stare. “Boots off, young man.”

Ben sat down with a sigh and started to take off his blue shoes. “You always tell me to wash my hands after I get back and before I eat and now you don’t want me to? You should make up your mind, Alec.” Kids these days. The man wondered if he had been as smart and answered his parents like that when he was Ben’s age.

“We will wash our hands after we undress.” He put down the Star Wars backpack gently then took off his coat and shoes. His boy was already running off in the direction of the bathroom and Alec wondered what got him so excited about washing hands. Usually, he had to be reminded about it before he made his way to the bathroom, murmuring under his nose or loudly groaning, accusing Alec of spoiling his fun. 

The older man grabbed a cloth on his way to the bathroom and followed Ben. The boy was already wiping his hands on the towel, almost jumping in place. He turned towards Alec as soon as the man walked in. “Can we go now?”

“Did Miss Josie offered to cook you pancakes or something?” Alec asked, baffled. Ben loved their elderly neighbor but was never that excited about visiting her after school.

He placed the cloth down, washed his own hands then gently got the piece of fabric wet to clean his pants and Ben’s shoes and jacket. The little boy still hadn’t replied him so he turned around and raised one eyebrow. He could see in the brown eyes that his seven-year-old wasn’t sure if he should say anything or not. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be bad so Alec placed his foot on the bathtub and started to rub off the dried mud with the wet cloth. After he got rid of most of the stains, he could hear Ben sigh loudly, finally deciding to tell Alec what his excitement was all about.

“If I get to Miss Josie now I will eat the magical cupcake sooner and see if I get any extra abilities. Only we know the warlock’s secret and we have to protect him and for that we need powers.” Sometimes, Alec was worried about how imaginative Ben was. It was amazing but he was also afraid that the boy liked to escape reality too much because of all that had happened to him in his short life. He placed the cloth back on the edge of the sink then knelt down in front of Ben.

“Buddy…” he started, unsure of what to say. They boy was clearly impatient but could see Alec had something on his mind so he stood there and stared at him. “This man...he’s not...he doesn’t have magical abilities.” Alec’s hazel eyes were staring down at the dinosaur hoodie Ben was wearing, while the boy’s brown ones were drilling holes in Alec’s face. Only when the man felt a tiny hand on his cheek did he look up. 

“I’m big. I know wizards are only in the movies and Simon’s books.” Izzy’s fiance had introduced Ben to Harry Potter - as well as Star Wars - and the boy had taken liking to those series. “But if they were real, we would totally get magical powers from those cupcakes.” Alec smiled warmly at that and Ben clearly read it as a permission to be dismissed since he bolted out of the bathroom the next second. Sometimes, the man felt like he was navigating blindly through parenthood but he never regretted his decision to take Ben in. He only hoped that Ben would never regret it either. 

The reassurance that the little boy was very much capable of telling reality and fairy tales apart calmed Alec down and he stood up, picking up the cloth again to clean up Ben’s jacket and shoes. The boy wouldn’t be going anywhere else today but if he cleaned it now, he wouldn’t have to do it after getting back from work or the next morning. Having a child at home definitely taught you not to leave anything for later as unexpected surprises could get in the way.

While Alec was finishing up with Ben’s clothes, the boy collected the toys he wanted to take to Miss Josie’s - the plushie whale, his box of crayons and the plastic dinosaur - and packed them in a denim drawstring bag that Izzy had bought him for his birthday. She insisted that it was ‘cool’ and ‘stylish’ but what Alec was thankful for was the fact that it was very resilient to everything Ben put it through. Or everything he put inside. Once done, the boy made his way back to the door, eyeing the cupcake box as Alec went to the bathroom to wash the cloth and hang it. 

“Ready to go?” Ben nodded but Alec took an extra moment to kneel down next to the Star Wars backpack and take out a few of Ben’s books. “Miss Josie will help you with homework.” The boy shrugged slightly. He liked some of the assignments Mrs. Phillips gave them but it didn’t mean he always felt like doing them. He wanted to draw himself and Alec fighting alongside the warlock to beat the evil ducks, not look at fractions represented by pieces of cake.

“Did you remember about the drawing?” Ben asked.

“Wait a second.” Alec carefully took out the sheet of paper then went to the kitchen to hang it. The hallway had a corkboard with Ben’s creations and family pictures, but every inch of space was already taken, so the newest drawings had been displayed on the fridge, in a more traditional way. Alec reached for two round magnets to pin the paper to the metal surface then took a moment to just admire Ben’s work. The kids at school were supposed to draw the things that remind them of Spring. Alec’s boy had decided to go for colorful flowers, the Sun, trees, dogs and his red bicycle. Maryse and Luke had bought it for him last year and Ben was thrilled every time they went to the park with it. One time, he had fallen and scraped his knee but then had stood up right away and gotten back on the bike. Alec had needed to run after him and order him to stop so he could clean the wound.

“Aaaaaleeeecccc.” Ben was clearly getting impatient.

“Coming.”

They didn’t even have to put their shoes on as Miss Josie lived across from them. After they knocked on her door, she opened to them with a welcoming smile and ushered the Lightwoods inside. 

“How are you?” Alec asked before hugging the woman briefly. She reached for Ben’s books with a smile. 

“Like always. Us old people aren’t as lively as you youngsters but we could still beat you at a couple of things.” Both adults exchanged smiles.

“Here are the cupcakes for you and Ben.” Alec handed her a white box but she pushed it back into his hands with a knowing smirk. “I’ll take Ben’s but you know how my sugar levels are. I should be careful at my age.” The man had a feeling she was partially lying, knowing that he had forgotten to get her a pastry, but still wanting him to enjoy what he had bought. Maybe her eyes gave her away, almost black yet shining, or maybe it was her motherly smile. He accepted the box back with a sheepish expression and she patted his arm. “Don’t you worry. Go back to work. I will watch over Benny.” Josie walked to her kitchen and came back with a plate for Alec to put a cupcake on. “And wash off those mud stains.” she told him as he was making his way back across the hallway. One glance down told him that indeed he had forgotten to get rid of all the dirt on his pants. Crap.

“Thank you!” he told her before closing the door behind himself and running towards the bathroom. He would definitely be skipping lunch today.


	2. 24th of March

Saturday morning found Alec snoring softly in bed . He had decided not to set up an alarm the previous evening, instead praying Ben would allow him to sleep in. Usually, he woke up around 7.30 am on weekends to make breakfast before the little boy was up but this time, he just wanted to live a little. If waking up even 10 minutes later was his new definition of ‘living a little’ then so be it. He could even go all out and give himself extra 10, making it 7.50 am before his inner clock dragged him out of bed.

No such luck. At 7.38 am, Ben barged in with his plushie whale and jumped onto Alec’s bed, successfully waking him up. The man rolled on his side with a groan, just to protect all his vital organs from being hurt by a 7-year-old, if the boy decided to jump on his stomach next.

“Can we make waffles?” Alec counted to ten in his head, to have a few more seconds to himself, before opening his eyes. Ben was staring at him with a serious expression, still wearing his pjs. 

“I am feeling more scrambled eggs today.” the man replied. It was Saturday which meant shopping day. They didn’t have any good toppings for belgian waffles and he wasn’t looking forward to eating them plain. Or with strawberry jam. Waffles with strawberry jam weren’t even close to his list of top 5 things he would like to eat on Saturday morning. Not even even close to his top 50.

“Then I can have waffles and you can have eggs.” Alec opened his arms for Ben and the boy snuggled against his chest. They stayed like that for a minute or two, cuddling, before Ben started to squirm. 

“Alright, alright.” Alec let go of him. “Go and wash your teeth because I can smell your dragon breath from up here.” He joked and Ben squinted, pretending to be mad but not being able to hide his grin.

“I am a powerful dragon and I will defeat you with the power of my breath!” This time, Ben did jump on him and Alec’s organs stayed, thankfully, mostly intact. The boy was imitating the mighty best, blowing air at Alec loudly and roaring, his plushie whale long forgotten. The man laughed loudly then started to tickle Ben’s sides which caused the boy to shriek and jump away from him. 

They both stumbled out of bed, laughing. Ben ran to his room to change while Alec occupied the bathroom. Once he was done, he moved to the kitchen and heard the boy following him there. “Ben. Teeth.” he said seriously. He had hoped that, by now, the morning routine would go smoothly but every now and then Ben tried to do things his own way and sneak out without brushing his pearly whites.

The boy rolled his eyes then left the room, not seeing Alec’s smirk. At least there hadn’t been much fuss about anything. Yet.

Alec opened up the cupboard to collect the ingredients for waffles, silently acknowledging his defeat when it came to breakfast. What greeted him was the empty space where flour was supposed to be. He moved a few containers and bags in hopes it was hidden somewhere but still couldn’t find any. ‘I’m guessing we will be having eggs after all.’ Alec told himself. But once he opened the fridge he saw that they had no eggs left. ‘Great.’

“Sorry, bud, but we have nothing to eat except milk and cereal. We’ll have to stick to it.” Alec said when he heard Ben enter the kitchen. Both of them looked at each other sadly, being tired of eating the same thing for breakfast for the last 5 days. The older man took out the bowls and spoons as Ben took his place by the kitchen table. He had dressed himself in light gray pants and darker shirt with planets sewn all over it. Neither of them paid much attention to how they looked yet Ben always seemed to pull off the ‘effortlessly fashionable’ look Alec’s sister talked about all the time. It had to be her doing.

The two of them silently stirred the cereal in their bowls, Ben glaring at it as if the food had personally offended him while Alec wished he had gone shopping yesterday. They exchanged defeated looks over the table then shared a goofy smile. 

“I want a cupcake.” Ben said after eating his first mouthful of food. Alec couldn’t agree more. It didn’t matter that it would mean washing down the sugary aftertaste with more sugar. The memory of that cupcake he had gotten on Wednesday was still fresh in his mind and made his mouth water.

“First we clean up and buy groceries. We can go there after lunch.” Ben was about to protest but Alec raised his eyebrow. “We will go find more rocks for your collection if we finish all the chores before the afternoon.” The boy squinted, considering the offer, then nodded and went back to his breakfast. The suggestion of going to the park wasn’t as innocent on Alec’s side as one would have thought. Ben would have the opportunity to spend most of his energy in a way that wouldn’t include jumping from the back of the couch or seeing how far he can throw his plastic dinosaur - and if said dinosaur could fly faster than legos.

After they finished their breakfast and cleaned the bowls, they both got to work. The dirty clothes were already divided into three sections - Alec had set up the laundry baskets for ‘dark’, ‘white’ and ‘colors’ as soon as they had moved in here, thinking it would be great both for Ben’s learning and for saving up time by not having to sort through them manually-so he just threw the darks into the washing machine and started the right programme. Next, he moved to his bedroom to straighten the covers, grabbing Ben’s whale on the way out and passing it to him. The little boy was moving around, collecting the toys he had left all around the apartment they day before, and putting them on the shelves in his room. Every now and then, he would pick a toy and changed its place until he was satisfied with the result. Before everything was done, though, Ben got bored and decided to look at Alec vacuuming the living room. 

Two hours later and most of their clothes were drying, everything had been dusted, Ben’s toys weren’t scattered all over the place and the few plants they owned had been watered. Alec grabbed his wallet and told Ben to put on his shoes when he heard the boy giggle. “What?” The man turned around. The little munchkin was staring at him with a shit eating grin and Alec wondered if he hadn’t pulled some sort of prank on him. “What?” he said again.

“You’re still...in your pjs.” Ben managed to get out in between giggles then rolled onto the floor, laughing loudly. Alec looked down at himself and, indeed, he was still wearing an old t-shirt and sleeping pants with clouds on them. “Ship.” he said loudly and made his way back to his bedroom, stepping over laughing Ben.

Alec tried not to swear around Ben. He didn’t shield him from every curse word - he knew that the boy would learn them eventually and would use them more often if they became a ‘forbidden fruit’ - but he also didn’t want to set a bad example for the 7-year-old to follow. He even told Izzy and Simon not to swear with Ben around and the three of them managed to come up with a few very creative substitutes for their favourite phrases.

This time on his way to the door Alec also snatched a few linen bags they owned before putting on his shoes, coat, hat, scarf and mittens and grabbing his keys and wallet. Ben was already waiting for him, fully dressed and trying to tie one of the fingers of his glove into a knot.

“We’re going, munchkin.” Alec placed the hand on his shoulder and led him outside.  
\-----  
Eating lunch before 1pm would always be weird, no matter how many weekends Alec spent doing just that. He had the elementary school to blame for it and their early lunch breaks. Now when it was closer to his usual lunch time, his stomach was just confused. The little munching didn’t see anything bad with eating early and was now happily strolling down through Prospect Park while Alec was trying to decide if he was still hungry or had actually overeaten.

Just as promised, they had brought a small bag for Ben’s rock collection. The boy had been going through a ‘space phase’ for the last year or so, and was trying to discover space rocks to experiment on and find life from other planets. Their netflix account had a whole queue of documentaries about stars, black holes and asteroids, and Ben was even capable of sitting through more than an hour of said movies before he got bored and went to study his own rocks. That kind of attention span was pretty impressive in Alec’s opinion, especially since most of those films used language that was way beyond the level of a 7-year-old.

“Alec?” Ben reached for his hand. “Can we get the cupcakes now?” Brown eyes looked up at the man expectantly.

“Benny.” The name Josie sometimes used for Ben had rubbed off on Alec and he had started to use it himself. “We had lunch…” the man looked at his phone. “40 minutes ago. Are you not full?”

The boy looked at his guardian as if the older man lost his mind. “You don’t have to be hungry to eat cupcakes.” He explained with a pained expression and Alec had to admit there was some truth to it. Besides, if he fed Ben sugar now there was a chance it’s effects would wear off before they got back home.

“Alright.” Alec agreed and Ben almost bolted towards the bakery, only being stopped by his guardian’s grip on his hand. 

This time, the place was mostly empty. A young couple was sitting in the corner, sharing something sweet while giggling, and the line consisted of only two people. It was a lunch time, after all, so Alec shouldn’t be surprised, yet he wondered why swarms of customers weren’t there to buy delicious pastries. Those baking creations were that memorable.

The man they had met last time was still behind the counter, joined by a woman who was making coffee. He was smiling while packing something for the elderly man and making small talk with him. 

Ben tugged at his hand, impatient, wanting to go and look at the sweets so Alec let go of his hand and took a place in the line. Even if the two people before him decided to stay, there would still be a spot for him and Ben to eat their dessert so Alec wasn’t worried about securing them a table. 

He looked at the blackboard, hung in between baskets full of bread, that had the coffee and tea selection listed, to pick something for himself.

It took only a moment before the warm brown eyes were looking at him and the man’s attention was purely on Alec. “Hello. What can I get for you today?” Ben jumped to Alec’s side to look at the man over the counter. “And hello to you.” The man leaned over to smile widely at the boy.

“Hi!” Ben replied before Alec could even open his mouth. “You made magic cupcakes for everyone?” Man’s eyes widened slightly but then he seemed to remember what the boy was referring to and chuckled.

“It’s rude not to share with others. And those cupcakes are so delicious, I’m really proud of myself for coming up with them.” The man replied then turned back to Alec. “What do you two fine gentlemen feel like eating today?”

“Um, hi.” Alec said, feeling like the biggest idiot right after. The man had indeed greeted them but the time for exchanging such pleasantries was probably over the moment he started talking about his recipe. Alec looked down at his boy. “What do you want, buddy?”

“Can we get another magical cupcake?” Puppy-dog eyes were staring at the man behind the counter instead of Alec. “Please.” Ben added and his guardian smiled, feeling proud of his boy for not forgetting good manners. 

“Of course. This is our monthly special, after all. It’s called ‘spring, welcome’.” then man said then reached for one. “And what will the dad have?”

“He’s Alec.” Ben cut in again and his guardian wondered if the boy had decided to be his voice for the day. Alexander Lightwood was capable of having conversations with other adults, thank you very much. He wasn’t angry at the boy, though - more amused.

“Well.” The man extended his hand towards Alec. “Nice to meet you. I’m Magnus.” Alec reached for the hand and shook it, slightly stunned with what was happening. Then, the man extended his hand towards the boy.

“I’m Ben.” The seven-year-old shook the offered hand quickly then ran towards the nearest table to claim it for himself, showing how impatient he was getting.

Magnus only chuckled. “I’m guessing it won’t be an order for the go.” He looked expectantly at Alec and only then did Alec remembered that he should use his own voice.

“No.” He blushed slightly then cleared his throat. “I’ll have one of those as well.” he gestured towards the green cupcake. “And black coffee, please.” Alec enjoyed fancy lattes as much as the person next to him but decided that the plain black beverage would work the best with the amount of sugar the cupcake had.

“Black coffee for Alec.” Magnus turned towards the woman behind the counter then looked back at Alexander. “It’s very sweet of you to look after your son.” The man glanced at the boy again then shifted his gaze back to Alec. It was clear that he had realised Ben looked nothing like Alec. Sure, they both had light skin but their resemblance ended at that. Where Alec was hazel eyes and almost black hair Ben was brown soft curls and chocolate eyes. They had different noses, different ears, different cheekbones. Alec could be anyone from a distant cousin to Ben’s parent partner.

“Thank you.” Alec smiled warmly at Magnus and the man smiled back. “We’re having fun together, right buddy?” The boy walked back to them and wiggled his way under Alec’s arm, glueing himself to his side.

“Alec likes boys.” The smile on the Alec’s face turned into a mortified expression at those words. Ben didn’t notice at all. “You know, like, there are boys who like boys and girls who like girls. And aunt Izzy likes Simon. Alec also likes scrambled eggs and he promised waffles for breakfast but we had to eat cereal.” 

Ben’s guardian risked looking at Magnus face, fully ready to have to explain that he wasn’t a pedophile at all but Magnus was only biting his lip, trying hard not to laugh. Thank fuck. He knew that homophobic people liked to use the argument that gay men were more likely to become pedophiles to not let them adopt and Alec didn’t feel like hearing those hurtful stereotypes or having Ben exposed to them. He had always dreaded them but even more since Ben moved in with him.

“Coffee.” The woman walked up to the cash register to bring the drink but moved away once she put the beverage down on the tray. Magnus was still smiling as he handed it to Alec.

“Today I had a bagel for breakfast.” Magnus told Ben as the boy and his guardian made their way to the small table. “But I also like cereal. And waffles. And eggs. I think breakfast is my favourite meal of the day.” The man leaned on his arms on the counter, having no customers to serve currently.

“Don’t warlocks eat dragon’s meat for breakfast?” Alec chuckled silently at that and unwrapped his cupcake, taking a big bite of his sugary treat. Manners be damned, he almost made some sort of noise, as if he was an erotica heroine, at how the taste of carrot cake with a lot of spices mixed with the delicate frosting. Even better than he had remembered.

“No. Dragon meat is tough and chewy.” Magnus made a disgusted face and Ben laughed loudly. “We eat a lot of leafy greens, though.”

The woman behind the counter chose that exact moment to walk up to Magnus and whisper something into his ear. “If you’ll excuse me.” He said to Ben and Alec then made his way through the back door. The woman smiled warmly at the two men then proceeded to wipe the counter clean.

“Eat your cupcake or the dragon will get it.” Alec told Ben with a smile.

\-----------  
Hours later, Ben was already under the covers when Alec entered his bedroom. The little boy was barely awake, spent after hours of running through the park and petting every dog he had been allowed to pet. He had almost fallen asleep during dinner and Alec had taken pity on him, telling him midway through to change into his pjs and go to bed. The older man had put tin foil over his plate so his food wouldn’t get cold and had followed Ben into his room. 

Only the bedside lamp and the little light over the bed were on, the room bathed in a soft glow. The little boy was clearly fighting off sleep, blinking heavily while looking at Alec.

The man walked up to the bookshelf, not really believing Ben would stay awake for long but wanting to grab a book anyway, and reached for The Chamber of Secrets then sat down on the carpet, next to the twin bed. 

“No.” Ben said quietly after Alec opened the book, then yawned. “I want a different one.”

“A different book?” Alec was ready to stand up but Ben shook his head.

“Not a book.” Alec looked at the boy. It had been a while since he had had to make up stories for Ben to listen to but he was sure he could think of something short that would entertain the boy before he fell asleep.

“What would you like to hear about?” He asked.

“A man.” Ben yawned again. “And he...and he...he has a quest. The warlock gave him a magical quest. He has three months to find love or he…” The rest of the sentence was lost in soft snoring. 

Alec smiled warmly and watched Ben for a few more moments then stood up and tucked him in. After kissing the brown curls he turned off all the lights and made his way out of the room, the book still in his hand.


	3. 25th of March

The familiar sound of Skype call was playing through the speakers of Magnus laptop and the man began to hum the tune under his nose subconsciously. He had planned the conversation with Cat and Dot in advance so he knew they wouldn’t be busy but it still took the two women a moment to pick up.

“Look who decided to finally show his face.” Cat’s voice greeted him and Magnus stuck his tongue at the front camera. 

“It’s good to see you, too.” One of his brown eyes was watching the screen as he was wiping off the make-up from the other one. He had already done it before showering but apparently the new liquid eyeliner he had bought wasn’t as easy to take off as one might expect, even after washing his face thoroughly. Magnus took great pride in his skincare routine and make up so the upside-down smokey eyes he had been greeted with after walking out of the shower were a huge disappointment. 

“Hello, Magnus.” Another voice joined their conversation.

“Dot!” The man put down the cotton pad and looked at his two friends. “It’s really good to see your face. It’s been over a week and I’ve truly missed you.”

“We’ve missed you, too.” Dorothea had answered with a smile.

The three had known each other for what felt like ages. Catarina was Magnus’ first friend in kindergarten. They had stayed friends all throughout elementary school and even though they had attended different middle schools, high school had brought them back together. They had been inseparable ever since. Compared to that, they hadn’t known Dot for long - she had joined them in 11th grade but soon had become an integral part of their shenanigans. All three had gone to the same college where Magnus had studied business, Cat had worked hard to become a nurse and Dot had jumped from one course to another, only to finally drop out and work in an antiques shop. She fit there perfectly and it made her happy so neither Magnus nor Cat ever allowed anyone to say a bad word about her choice. Catarina had even almost punched someone once for snickering behind Dot’s back but was stopped by the woman herself before she did something that might get her in jail.

Out of the three of them, Dot was always the oasis of calm, mindful and in tune with the world around her. Cat was the mother hen, looking over their circle and Magnus was the force that pushed them forward. They worked great together, almost complete. Almost.

“How was the grand opening?” Dot inquired.

“It had to be great because he didn’t have the time to call us until now. It’s Sunday, Magnus. Sunday. Sticks and Scones opened on Wednesday and you were in NYC two days before that. Which means, we haven’t talked since Monday.” Catarina glared at him, her dark eyes making him squirm in place like a scolded child. Truth be told, he did feel guilty about not keeping in touch but he physically had no time.

“I’m sorry. It’s been...interesting.” He had no idea how to describe it. “The building was indeed ready, only needed a few extra touches. All the media accounts were set up and ready to go. The staff already had their uniforms and was trained, knowing what everyone was supposed to do, familiar with their schedules as well as the coffee machine and other equipment. All the documentation was taken care of, so the only things I really had to do was supervise that it would all go smoothly.” Which in Magnus’ dictionary meant he had spent several good hours per day going through every detail once again-from wiping the tables to watering plants and re-reading all the paperwork. “But...you know.” Magnus looked down at the dirty cotton pad on his table and reached for it, playing with the white ball.

“How are you holding up?” Catarina’s voice was full of concern and Magnus hated it, even if he could see it coming.

“I’m good. It’s weird but I’m good. And how are you?” He glanced back up only to cast his eyes down again when he was met with Dot’s sad eyes.

“We’re good. We have one another here.” There was a hint of smile in Cat’s voice and Magnus couldn’t help but smile as well. “And we will be waiting for you on the 22nd of June. Which will come crazy soon.” That was when Magnus’ supervising over the bakery would end. ‘Sticks and Scones’ was the second bakery he was opening and, after making sure everything would be great, he planned on going back to sunny LA to his first business and his friends. His home.

Magnus looked back up with a smirk. “How is your life, dearest Catarina? You look like shit.” They all knew he didn’t mean to insult her. Even after long shifts, Cat was always beautiful but that night, she just looked tired. Magnus swore he could make out the bags under her eyes even through the shitty camera.

That woman had a heart of gold. She had worked more hours than Magnus thought was humanly possible yet always had a warm smile for everyone. Unless they were dicks. She took no shit from people. Years ago, Magnus had been worried people would try to take advantage of her but she never let anyone hurt her or force her into anything. Cat knew her value, she knew what she was capable of and what was off limits for her. She knew the healthy balance between helping people and not letting the work consume her and drive her to early grave. Magnus not-so-silently admired her for that.

“Look who’s talking. I can see your panda eyes even from here.” Magnus bolted up from his chair and run up to the bathroom, accompanied by the sound of his friends’ laughter. Indeed, the eyeliner was not off completely yet. “Fuck.” He cursed silently and grabbed another cotton pad then drenched it with make-up remover and started to rub his eyes furiously, losing a few eyelashes in the process. He had been using the same make-up remover for months and it had never let him down so it had to be the eyeliner’s fault.

“Come back to us!” Dot called and Magnus flipped her off, even though she couldn’t see it, then went back to his laptop. He would have to use something from his ‘emergency skincare kit’ to remove the residue later.

“Satisfied?” He sat down with a diva flair, which made the two women giggle. ‘Good.” he thought. Cat and Dot deserved a good laugh.

“How’s the shop?” Magnus asked.

“It’s doing fine. There was a huge hype for old tea sets lately so we were swarmed with hipsters of all sorts. It was quite nice to see their eyes shine when they saw the old chairs or clocks, promising to come back in the future. And we finally managed to sell that old wardrobe. The client came from new money but his interest in the piece was honest. I wasn’t the biggest fan of that furniture so I’m glad it was placed in a loving home. And we got more free space in the process.” She spoke with such a passion about the shop that Magnus had no other choice but to listen, mesmerized. Dot was the one to show them to look for beauty in everyday objects and taught them to cherish meaningful belongings. She was the true magician, Magnus thought, adding a little charm to spaces around them with carefully chosen pieces.

“That’s amazing to hear.” Magnus smiled warmly at her but his gaze was becoming distant. The thoughts he would rather avoid were slowly catching up to him, now that he had a moment to himself and wasn’t busy with work.

“Magnus?” A soft voice brought him back.

“Yes?” He looked at the screen, not knowing how much of the conversation he had missed.

“You know that you didn’t have to go along with it.” And here they were again. The conversation he despised. Magnus knew his friends were worried and meant well but they didn’t understand. This whole topic would only dampen their moods.

“Just...stop right here, Dot.” He raised two fingers to silence her, even thought she was miles away. “We had planned it for months. Everything was ready. The market isn’t as forgiving as you.” From the way Cat glared at him warningly, he knew that his tone was too much, so he apologised even though he still felt somewhat angry. “I know you only want everything that’s best for me. But this was our dream. They were so excited about it and so was I. I truly feel much better now when the place is open and running.” Magnus didn’t know whether it was a truth or a lie. He didn’t really feel anything but it didn’t also felt like emptiness. It just...was. That was how the world worked. “I love you Dorothea.” He smiled warmly at her. “And even you Cat.”

None of them wanted to end their Skype call on the bad note so they chatted about insignificant things until Cat reminded them that they all had work in the morning - and that Magnus would sleep less than them, due to timezones.

“Take care of yourself, Magnus!” Dot hung up and Magnus just leaned back in his chair, looking at the chat window. Only now when he allowed himself did he feel how much he actually missed them. How alone he had felt in NY. It was never supposed to be like that. Even with the girls back in LA, he was never supposed to be here by himself. That wasn’t the plan.

He stood up from the chair and went to the bathroom to dig through his emergency skincare bag. Most of his things were still unpacked because he hadn’t had neither time nor energy to put his things on the shelves or in the closet. He had restricted that work to things he used regularly. 

It didn’t take him a lot of time to find a bottle of make-up removing face wash. While he gently cleaned his face, he thought about his loneliness again. He did hang out around his staff. He chatted with them, praised their work and encouraged them to go somewhere as a team. He had even gone with them to a bar once but had left after an hour, feeling guilty for having fun. This was not the time for having fun. Not so soon after…

Magnus rinsed and wiped his face on the towel then looked at his reflection in the mirror. His face was finally free of make-up and his hair were fluffy and unstyled. He looked raw, open and vulnerable. He looked...tired. Just like Cat did. He looked as if he had been working 24/7 for the past month which wasn’t true. Opening his second bakery was a lot of work but it wasn’t that much work. The weight of what had happened last week - dear God, only last week - had added at least five years to the features of the man staring back at Magnus. 

He could no longer look at his reflection.

Already dressed for sleep, Magnus walked to the bedroom. On his way there, he snatched his laptop and opened the tab with netflix as soon as his lower half was hidden under the covers. He just needed a nice movie to focus on. Yes. Probably a tv series, one he could go back to if the need to focus on mindless entertainment came again. 

Tomorrow, he would be working again. There was no need for him at the bakery - they would have to be able to manage it alone later after all - but he enjoyed working. Magnus had always loved baking and having something to do with his hands took his mind off everything that clouded it. Besides, bringing smiles to people’s faces with his creations was the best gratification he could hope for. Yes. He was doing something good. Something good.

He put on the first series suggested by Netflix and hoped it would be good enough to dull the ache in his chest.


	4. 31st of March/2nd of April

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Later than I promised but little bit ealier than I planned.
> 
> [As always, huge thanks to my amazing beta enkelimagnus!](http://enkelimagnus.tumblr.com) Follow her on tumblr (she makes beautiful moodboards) and check out her [works](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enkelimagnus/works) on ao3.

As March was coming to an end, the days became warmer and Alec and Ben started to enjoy their Saturday walks more and more. With snow gone, it was easier for the boy to find his precious stones and his guardian didn’t have to worry as much about Ben soaking his clothes or getting mud on them. Alec still made Ben put on his hat but the gloves had been stored away until next winter and the scarf wrapped around boy’s neck no longer was the heavy knitted one.

“Easy there!” The man shouted after Ben when he saw the boy was throwing the rocks he apparently didn’t like. People were walking around with dogs and hitting the poor pet with a stone could have tragic consequences. “What did I tell you about such behaviours?” Even from afar, Alec could see Ben’s eyeroll.

“I know. Dinosaurs died because a huge rock hit the Earth. But I’m more careful than that meteorite.” The next stone was simply placed down on the ground and the boy made his way back to Alec, his shoulders slumped. “There is nothing promising. How can I research alien lifeforms when I have no samples?” The older man chuckled and placed his hand on Ben’s head. 

“The rule of not throwing rocks knows no exceptions. And I’m sure we will find something for you to analyze later.” For a 7-year-old, Ben had a pretty impressive vocabulary. It came from his love for the science documentaries and the fact that he spent so much time around Josie who talked to him about her past career and taught him about sea creatures. She used to work as a marine biologist before retiring and she could spend hours talking to Ben about dolphins or sharks. He was enraptured by her tales.

“Will thinks there are no aliens. He’s wrong.” 

Will was Ben’s best friend. The two had known each other since kindergarten and spent a lot of time together because they lived close. Will’s mom was actually the person who picked up Ben on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays when Alec was working.

Ben having friend’s his age was a huge relief for Alec. When the boy had started kindergarten, Alec had worried about Ben fitting in with the rest of the children. The boy had spent the previous two years surrounded almost entirely by adults, never even engaging in group activities with his peers on the playground, so the man had worried he might not do well among other kids. He had been deep into research of children therapists, just in case, but it turned out they wouldn’t need any.

As soon as Ben had laid his eyes on Will on the first day, he had freed himself of Alec’s grasp and had run towards the other boy who smiled at him in return. In that moment, Alec had been sure he had never felt more relieved in his life and the feeling only grew stronger after Ben had gotten his first invitation to a playdate.

“When you make your big discovery, Will will be the first one we call. Then grandma Maryse,” Alec said. “She would love to know her grandson is setting new directions for science.”

Both Alec’s mother and sister lived a few hours away from NYC but that didn’t stop them from being invested in their lives. Izzy made sure to visit her brother and nephew at least once a month and called them every other day. Maryse, on the other hand, kept pestering Alec about them visiting her and Luke soon - their works kept them busy so they couldn’t drive out of town much, but they both wanted to see their grandson as often as possible. Both women were also spoiling Ben rotten, which he loved. 

Ben beamed proudly, forgetting all about not being able to find the right stone. “When I meet aliens, I will teach them about all the cool stuff. We will eat pizza and I will tell them about dogs and they will tell me about their planets. And Will will have to believe me when I introduce them to him. I will say it’s cool he didn’t believe because I also didn’t believe until Simon showed me Star Wars.” The last sentence wasn’t what Alec had expected and he almost bursted out with laughter. He had tried to cover it with a coughing fit but Ben still eyed him suspiciously before adding: “The force isn’t real but there has to be life in space.”

“You reassuring me Darth Vader won’t come for me in my sleep is really helping.” Alec replied.

As soon as the boy saw the bakery, he took off towards it. 

He and Alec had been there on Wednesday while going back from school, and were greeted by a sight of a young woman behind the counter instead of Magnus. Ben had pouted at not seeing him but her cheery smile and the sugary treats had lifted his mood in no time. Now it was Saturday and the two men had decided to go back there once more, slowly making a habit of Wednesdays and Saturdays being ‘pastry days’.

When Alec entered the bakery, Ben and Magnus were already chatting, the older man leaning over the counter and looking at the boy. The place was empty, save for the teenage couple that was occupying the same table as the week before, so Alec took his sweet time to look at the glass display before making his way to the counter. 

Magnus raised his eyes and greeted Alec briefly with a bright smile before directing his attention towards the little boy and their conversation again. “So, what happened to the warlock since the last time we spoke?” 

“He was in the woods?” Ben asked and Alec frowned. He didn’t remember his boy and Magnus discussing any stories like that. Sure, Ben claimed that Magnus was a warlock but apart from a few comments the boy had never dwelled on that topic.

“Yes. I believe he had been there to make a deal with the seelie queen.” Magnus suddenly noticed Alec’s perplexed expression. “Ben visited me a few times this week and told me all about this wonderful warlock and his adventures.” he explained.

“Did he?” Alec looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow. “And when did that happen?”

“Josie needed bread so I showed her this place.” Brown eyes full with pride looked up at Alec. “And she loved Magnus’ cheesecake so we went back on Tuesday to eat it again.”

“And you kept it all a secret?” Alec had already suspected that his neighbour had been spending more money on Ben than Alec was giving her. He understood that Josie wasn’t treating them as a charity case, merely wanted to spoil the little boy since she didn’t have a family of her own, but he couldn’t help but feel slightly bitter about it. He was very capable of raising Ben on his own and didn’t need financial help. She shouldn’t spend her pension money on either of them. 

After the short wave of bitterness passed, he started feeling guilty that he had felt that way towards his elderly neighbour. Josie meant well and he didn’t have to prove himself to her-or anyone else. Accepting acts of kindness didn’t mean he was weak and not fit to be a parent. No one was going to take Ben away from him just because Josie bought the boy a cookie or Simon brought him his old comic books to read.

Magnus looked slightly sheepish so Alec spoke again. “Don’t worry. I’m not mad or anything that he came here without my knowledge. Especially not mad at you.” He smiled at the other man. “Josie is our neighbour. She looks after Ben in the afternoons and I trust her with him. And his sugar intake.” The last words were directed at the boy himself who seemed not to care at all about the comment, still looking at Magnus.

“Speaking of your glucose levels, what would you two like to eat today?” Magnus straightened behind the counter, a small smile gracing his face again.

“I would like to try the famous cheesecake. With a black coffee, please.” Next to Alec, Ben nodded. “Make it two slices.” It had to be amazing if both Josie and Ben loved it so much. Not that anything Alec had eaten here hadn’t been.

“Of course.” Magnus rang them up then went to the coffee machine. Last Saturday, there had been someone to to help him but this time he seemed to be alone. “So what did the seelie queen demand from the warlock?” He asked over his shoulder.

Ben seemed to think hard about it, frowning and looking around the bakery as if it held the answer to that question. “I dunno. What do you think she would want from him?” Ben stood on his toes to get a better look at the older man, waiting for him to pitch him an idea while observing what he was doing with the machine.

“Hmmm.” Magnus went back to the counter to place a mug of black coffee on the tray then added two slices of cheesecake with what looked like raspberry jam on top. Alec took the tray from him after nodding gratefully and went to the closest table while Ben lingered next to the counter. “I think she would demand he grant her one wish. She is powerful but he doesn’t trust her and it would mean he would have to stay loyal to her and take her side when needed.”

The boy’s eyes lit up at the idea. “Yes. The warlock needs the blue flower to finish his spell so he has to agree. He doesn’t like the evil queen but his quest is more important!” Ben threw his hand in the air, attracting the attention of the teenage couple and causing Magnus to laugh. “He only has time until midnight before it’s too late and the gates close. And he still has a riddle to solve to find out the last ingredient for the spell.”

Magnus nodded with excitement then hunched, now looking older and malicious. “...and the shining mirror that will show you the way but may be your doom.” he recited the riddle from memory, voice raspier. Ben giggled and jumped while Alec shook his head with fondness, watching the exchange. 

His heart was filled with so much glee, seeing his boy so happy. Alec hadn’t seen the shift in Magnus and Ben’s relationship so watching them interact now…He felt a pang of something in his chest. Alec knew that Ben was constantly growing but it was the first time he fully realised he wouldn’t be there to witness all the unexpected changes. Sometimes he would only see them after. And sometimes he wouldn’t know at all what was happening in Ben’s life.

Alec grabbed the mug and took a sip of his coffee to distract himself from those thoughts, but the feeling still lingered. He could only hope that Ben would always feel comfortable enough to share things with him - both the important and unimportant ones. But he also knew that his little boy was growing up to be an amazing person and that his life wouldn’t depend on Alec forever.

“What do you think?” Magnus directed the question at Alec which finally helped to free the man from his thoughts.

“Umm….” Two pairs of brown eyes were staring at him expectantly and Alec could feel the heat creeping up his neck and cheeks. 

Magnus must have realised the other hadn’t been paying attention because he took pity on him and summarised what was happening with the warlock. “We were discussing whether or not he should try the risky route through the wetlands or choose a safe path around it but one that he knows would mean he has barely any time to spare. So if anything happens, he will be late.” 

“He needs to find the mirror before midnight!” Ben exclaimed dramatically. “And the evil troll who cast the spell wasn’t helpful with his riddle at all.”

“I think he should travel through the wetlands. The troll would think the warlock would never choose the hard route that he may not know so he would make sure the easy path has as many obstacles as possible. At least I would do that if I were an evil troll.” Alec finally replied.

Ben laughed loudly and ran to Alec, grabbing onto his arm. “You are not a troll.”

“Aren’t I?” Alec struggled not to smile but was unable to keep a serious face after the boy giggled again. 

“If you are, you are good at hiding it.” Magnus caught Alec’s eye and winked.  
\--------------------------------------------------

“We’re going to be late! Hurry up, Ben!”

That Monday morning had been hecting in the Lightwood household. It had all started with Ben being unable to find his toothbrush and only gone downhill from there. 

After they had managed to locate the object - it had somehow found its way to Ben’s desk - Alec had realised none of his socks were matching. He must have had skipped doing the load of black laundry on Saturday and now had to choose between a sock with pugs, one that was plain red and another with green stripes. And all three of them were left socks.

Before he could decide on a ‘pair’, he had heard a loud scream from Ben’s room and had run towards the sound. All the dark scenarios had run through his head in the mere seconds it had taken him to reach the bedroom. Ben was standing in the middle of it, crying while holding his homework that had a crumpled corner. The next 10 minutes had been spent convincing the boy that his teacher would accept the worksheet even if it was not perfectly ‘straight’.

Now, Alec was standing next to the front door with a sandwich for Ben and his own stomach was growling loudly. They weren’t running late yet but they were pretty close to it so he only had enough time to whip up some quick breakfast to go. And unfortunately, he had forgotten about himself in the process.

“Coming!” There was no trace of tears on Ben’s face and Alec thanked Heavens for that. The last thing he needed was to have to explain to the teacher why the boy had puffy eyes or red cheeks. 

3 minutes later, they were out of the building and Ben was munching on his food, trying to hold it in one hand as Alec was grasping his other one tightly so the boy wouldn’t get lost.

They made their way to the school in record time and the older man breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the clock in the classroom read 8:08. There were still 7 minutes left before the morning activities would start. “Be good to Mrs Phillips.” Alec leaned down to kiss Ben’s forehead then let him run towards Will who was already waiting for his best friend.

Alec still had 52 minutes to make it to work on time which was more than enough. He had to walk back through the Prospect Park, since his workplace was closer to the apartment than Ben’s school, so he decided to drop by the bakery and buy himself something for breakfast and lunch. His rumbling stomach agreed to that idea loudly.

The bakery was filled with impatient people who were clearly waiting for their sugar and caffeine fix for the day. Alec had spotted Magnus’ welcoming face behind the counter before taking his place in the fast-moving line. He decided against greeting the man right after walking in since it could be awkward. They had talked a couple of times but they weren’t exactly friends. Besides, Magnus was busy with serving the customers so talking to him right now would only distract him - he might even ignore Alec and Alec would just feel embarrassed for the rest of his day.

He just waited patiently and eyed the drink menu and the glass display to decide what to get. Everything looked mouth-watering and his hunger wasn’t helping him.

“What can I get for you today, Alec?” Magnus smiled warmly and the rest of tension left Alec’s body. He had been stressed because of the morning events but now he was only minutes away from sinking his teeth into a delicious pastry.

“Could I get a large raspberry latte on the go, one mushroom sandwich and one turkey sandwich, please?” Alec replied and the other man smirked then shouted his drink order to the woman operating the coffee machine. “I didn’t peg you for a fancy latte kind of guy.” Magnus commented as he grabbed two paper bags and started packing the sandwiches.

“Deep inside we are all whipped cream lovers. There is no point in denying it.” Magnus chuckled, hearing a reply that he wasn’t expecting at all to come from Alec’s mouth. The other man man could see the mirth in Magnus eyes as he handed him the food and rang him up.

“You can collect your coffee order over there.” Magnus gestured the opposite end of the counter where a woman with pink hair was currently placing a white styrofoam cup down. The whipped cream swirl had some sort of red sauce on it and after Alec squinted he could see a single raspberry on top. “Enjoy your day, Alexander.”

“Thank you and have a nice day.” Alec waved with his free hand before going to collect his drink as Magnus busied himself with another customer.

Alec smiled at the girl with pink hair - Sophie, the name tag read - and she returned the smile. The whipped cream was towering over the rim of the cup and made putting a lid on it impossible so Alec reached for the plastic spoon to scoop the top of the swirl with the raspberry. 

Fucking hell, it tasted divine. Something as simple as that shouldn’t be so good. 

He let himself enjoy a few more spoonfuls before mixing the rest of the whipped cream with his latte and finally reaching for the lid. After checking the time on his phone, putting the mushroom sandwich in his messenger bag and securing the strap on his shoulder, Alec picked the styrofoam cup and left the bakery. 

He still had enough time to get to work early and eat his breakfast at his desk but he had been hungry for what felt like ages so he bit into the turkey sandwich while still walking. Whoever had made it was a true genius-there was lettuce, dried tomatoes and some spread Alec couldn’t pinpoint. It was delicious.

Honestly, if he could have a breakfast like this every Monday, it would become his favourite day of the week. It took him only a few more large bites to decide that, from now on, Mondays were his personal ‘treat yourself days’ and that he would start every week with a latte and a sandwich or muffin from his new favourite bakery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave kudos and comments if you liked the chapter (or if you didn't-tell me what you disliked). You can also come talk to me on [tumblr](http://lewispanda.tumblr.com)  
> I promise I don't bite ;)


	5. 21st of April (part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that you had to wait so long. All the exams are over now so I should go back to posting regularly. 
> 
> I actually had to cut the chapter in half-that's why this one is a little bit shorter.
> 
> As always huuuuge thanks to my beta [enkelimagnus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enkelimagnus/works) ! 
> 
> Enjoy!

“You know what day it is?” Ben shouted to Magnus even though the man was standing behind the counter, only a few feet away from the table Ben and Alec were occupying.

 

“Swallow first. Talk after.” Alec scolded the boy without any real heat behind his words. 

 

That Saturday, they both had ordered chocolate cake and lemonade and Alec was seriously starting to regret the amount of sugar he had consumed in the last month. He had visited the bakery every Monday morning to grab lunch and he and Ben dropped by every Wednesday and Saturday for sweet treats. He wasn’t becoming fat but last night he had stared into the mirror for 10 minutes, prodding his stomach with his finger to determine whether or not it had indeed turned more pudgy. Not that it would matter much. He hadn’t dated anyone since the day he took Ben home and wasn’t exactly planning on downloading grindr anytime soon. People thought that you had to have ‘the one’ for your life to feel complete but Alec didn’t believe in it. He wasn’t against romance-he just found enough happiness in being a father to Ben and didn’t feel like he was lacking anything.

 

“21st of April?” Magnus answered the boy with a frown, not knowing where this was going.

 

“Nooooo.” Ben rolled his eyes. “Today the man has to go on the quest.”

 

Magnus and Alec both gave the boy puzzled looks.

 

“What man are you talking about?” Alec looked at Magnus because he hadn’t heard about any human man in Ben’s latest stories but maybe it was something that the boy shared with the other man. Magnus just shook his head.

 

“Don’t you remember?” Ben looked at Alec agitated and the guardian almost expected him to stamp his foot in annoyance. “The man who had a quest from the warlock. Oh, no.” The boy knelt on the chair then leaned over the table to place a hand on man’s shoulder. “Even Mrs Josie doesn’t have aneurysm yet.” Alexander could just stare at Ben dumbfounded as Magnus snickered.

 

“I think he meant Alzheimer.” Magnus supplied, still grinning widely.

 

“The wizard gave man a quest. He has to fall in love before summer.” Ben let go of Alec’s shoulder but was still looking at him expectantly. The older man didn’t have a heart to tell him he didn’t remember that story.

 

“Ohhh. That man.” Hazel eyes glanced and Magnus, hoping to get some help. Luckily, he took pity on him.

 

“Can you tell me about that quest? I thought the warlock wanted to take a break after defeating the dragon and the Seelie Queen. Visit other planets or travel to the kingdom under the sea.” 

 

Alec honestly couldn’t believe how engaged in Ben’s stories Magnus seemed to be. He was always quick to think and came up with the best ideas, building whole worlds or creating spells and riddles, never looking bored or tired. And he remembered the things Ben told him. It was clear that Magnus treated Ben seriously and it made Alec happy to see how his son’s eyes shined every time Magnus added something to a story or asked a question. It made Alec believe that maybe Ben’s imagination was not something to be afraid of but a gift to cherish.

 

“I don’t have anything yet. But he needs to go if he wants to make it in time. It took Simon two months to ask aunt Izzy out and the man only has two months left.” The boy replied.

 

Of course Ben didn’t know that Izzy and Simon had actually met on tinder, hooked up and then it had taken them weeks of casual sex to go on an official date. Alec thought he could spare the kid those details and save himself from questions that would surely come-he knew he was trying to avoid the inevitable but sue him.

 

“We need to go, Ben. You still have homework to do.” Alec said. On Friday, Ben couldn’t focus on anything and had only completed half of the task that had been assigned by his teacher.

 

The boy groaned as Alec stood up and collected their plates and glasses. Magnus motioned for him to hand him those instead of having to go across the room to drop them off.

 

“You should come with us.” Ben declared and both men froze. 

 

“Ben…” Magnus started.

 

“We already cleaned the apartment and bought groceries. I only have one page of homework and we are having chicken nuggets today!” The little boy looked at his guardian pleadingly. 

 

“I guess…” Alec started then looked at Magnus. “Only if you want to. I mean, you probably already have plans but we would enjoy to spend more time with you. Could be fun.” The man tried to sound casual but failed. He had never thought about seeing Magnus outside of this bakery but once Ben planted the idea in his head, it looked oddly alluring. They would have to do some extra cleaning and stop by the store again to buy more food but otherwise having Magnus over would be no problem. 

 

“Thank you for the invitation. I would love to.” 

 

Ben leaped into the air with a roar and both men chuckled at the sound. “Magnus will visit us!” He shouted. 

 

Alec passed the empty dishes to the man then picked up the boy who was almost vibrating with joy.

 

“We are usually eating dinner at 6.30. Here, I will give you my number in case you get lost. And text you our address.” 

 

Magnus took out his phone and Alec gave him his number while trying to calm down Ben who was gripping his neck tightly and jumping in his hold. Seriously, how the boy was able to do that?

 

“6.30 works perfectly. I will message you so you can send me the address.” Magnus waved them off, seeing that Ben was close to exploding and needed more space than the bakery could provide to act on his excitement. “I’ll see you both later.”

 

“Thank you. See you soon!” Alec smiled at Magnus then made his way outside. 

\--------

“I’ll put you on a speaker. Kinda short on time.” Magnus placed the phone down on the bed then went to his closet to choose something to wear for the evening. He had been invited to someone’s house so he had to look nice. Casual but nice. It was a dinner, after all, but not a formal one. Just a nice evening with new friends.

 

“Ohhh. What exactly are you doing, Magnus Bane? Because I know you and this isn’t your I’m-about-to-invent-a-new-pastry-don’t-interrupt-me tone.” Cat’s voice was loud and as clear as it could be, coming from the smartphone speakers.

 

“Nothing much. I’m visiting someone.” He reached for a black tee with printed cats on it but quickly deemed it  _ too casual _ . Ben might love it, though. And Magnus had seen Alec wear t-shirts. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad choice, after all. He held the piece of clothing in front of him and stared at it as if it had offended him somehow. Heck, he was overthinking it, wasn’t he?

 

“You haven’t told us anything about meeting  _ someone _ .” Cat’s voice was definitely suggestive.

 

“It’s not like that.” Magnus rolled his eyes even though his friend couldn’t see him. 

 

“Then what is it like? I want details.” 

 

“They are regulars at the cafe. Came by on the opening day. They visit thrice a week, usually around the time when we don’t have many customers, so we chat.” Magnus knew Cat wouldn’t be satisfied with this answer so he continued. “Alec is a single dad of a young boy Ben.” Even after those past four weeks Magnus wasn’t sure what was the relationship between his two favourite clients. He had heard a few times how Ben called Alec by his name but on the other hand the man never denied being Ben’s father. Magnus also knew that they lived together, that Alec was the one making sure the boy was always dressed appropriately to the weather, that his homework was done on time… And when Alec looked at Ben, it was clear how much he loved him. They probably weren’t blood related - too little resemblance between their facial features for it to be highly possible - but Ben could always be adopted. Maybe he was the son of Alec’s previous partner - that’s why he called the man by his name. It wasn’t Magnus place to be nosy but he had to admit he was curious. “Honestly, Ben is very adorable. Alec did an excellent job raising him.” 

 

The black tee had been hanged back in the closet and Magnus reached for an olive green shirt. It had short sleeves but still made him look classy. And it was comfy and didn’t restrict his movements so if Ben wanted to play, Magnus wouldn’t have to worry about tearing anything. 

 

Cat’s voice brought him back to reality. “So a single man with a cute kid. Is the cuteness a family trait?”

 

“I told you it’s nothing like that.” Magnus knew from Ben that Alec was single but having a dinner with him and his kid wasn’t a  _ date _ . “We are meeting because Ben asked me to come and eat chicken nuggets with them. Alec agreed, of course. I would never drop by someone’s house uninvited, unless it’s yours.” Magnus knew that he was welcomed at every hour of the day at Cat’s place. Sometimes under the condition he brought coffee and food with him, but still. “You would love Ben. He is so....lively. His imagination is constantly working and he has been telling me this story of a powerful warlock for the past month. Every time I think the story is going to end he comes up with new quests or villains or friends. New kingdoms. And Alec also contributes. Honestly, you should see them interact. They are close. Ben is full of energy but Alec has it - mostly - under control. He never discourages Ben from telling me or him those stories but rather engages in the process of storytelling.” 

 

Magnus’ dreamy smile could be heard over the phone and it warmed Cat’s heart. It may be too soon for her friend to realise he was crushing hard on said Alec but his best friend knew. Catarina was glad he had someone in New York to be there for him and support him. She just hoped Alec wouldn’t break his heart or else her and Dot would get there and even being a father wouldn’t help him when they get their revenge. Magnus had suffered through enough.

 

“It’s good that you’re going out. I was afraid you would just spend all your free time watching things on Netflix.” She said. And he had. For the past month and a half he had. It was a good way to take his mind off things. On the 12th of April he had binged-watched Brooklyn 99 until he could see the first rays on sunshine streaming through the curtains. It had worked, though.

 

“There is nothing bad in having a great taste for tv series. And enjoying said taste.” Yep, green shirt it was. “Cat?”

 

“Yes?” 

 

“I think I need to go. Not that I’m not having fun while you keep insulting my love for comedy cop shows but I have to do one more thing before going out.” He had already googled the address and checked how he could get there on time but he didn’t want to come empty-handed. Buying flowers was the usual thing one did while visiting someone for the first time but Magnus doubted Ben might enjoy them, so he had decided to bake his famous cheesecake and bring it with him as a gift. He only hoped he wouldn’t mess up with Ben’s diet or something by offering more sugar. Maybe he should ask Alec first if he could bring something sweet.

 

“Enjoy yourself and don’t come home late!” Cat told him and Magnus kissed the air loudly before ending the call. Then he opened the very-short conversation he had with Alec.

 

To: Alec

**I hope you didn’t plan a desert**

 

The reply came almost immediately.

 

From: Alec

**This** **won’t be a three course meal but we do have cookies in the house if you want them.**

 

To: Alec

**Then I will be responsible for making sure your sweet tooth is satisfied**

 

From: Alec

**Magnus, you really don’t have to. You are our guest.**

 

To: Alec

**Nonsense, Alexander. Consider this taken care of.**

 

_ Alexander _ ? Where did this even come from? The text had already been sent so there was nothing Magnus could do with it. The name just...felt right. He hoped Alec wouldn’t mind.

 

The phone buzzed in his hand seconds later.

 

From: Alec

**You will be responsible for my premature death. Thank you very much. We both can’t wait to see you.**

 

The text was both light-hearted and sweet and Magnus realised he was grinning. He didn’t remember having this much fun since...oh. A feeling of guilt washed over him. Maybe he should text Alec, saying that something came up at work or that he suddenly felt sick and stay at home? His thumbs hovered over the keys, ready to whip up a quick message but something stopped him. Alec and Ben really hoped he would come and he shouldn’t spoil their fun. It wasn’t their fault. They didn’t know. 

 

He placed the phone down and went to the kitchen, the smile gone from his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclamer: this was not the first time Magnus called Alec 'Alexander' ;) 
> 
> Come and talk to me on [tumblr](http://lewispanda.tumblr.com)  
> 


	6. 21st of April (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five words:  
> Never gonna give you up.

“My music is better. I’m logging you out.” Exclaimed Ben from the kitchen table.

“What? Why? My music taste is amazing.” After coming back home from the grocery store Alec had done some extra cleaning while Ben had finished his homework and now both of them were in the kitchen, cooking. The smell of the marinade filled the room and Alec was smiling as he cut the cabbage for the coleslaw and swayed from side to side to the tunes of ‘Never gonna give you up’. He had been the one who had found the recipe for the extra special chicken nuggets that became famous among his family and friends - even his own mother, who rarely ate meat, was a huge fan of the dish. It was easy to make, healthier than the standard version since the meat was grilled in the oven, and not deep-fried, and the marinade made it more tasty. And who didn’t love chicken nuggets?

“It isn’t. You have a dad music taste.” Alec glanced at Ben to see what he was doing. The boy was kneeling on the chair, leaning over Alec’s laptop that seconds ago had been playing music. 

“Well, I am a dad. What were you expecting?” Alec wiped his hands clean on a towel then walked up to Ben and ruffled his hair. He looked over the mop of brown curls to see what the boy was doing on his laptop. “Wait. Whose account is this?” A few months ago, Simon had introduced Ben to the wonders of Spotify and since then they boy had been using Alec’s account to create playlists and swap song ideas with Simon. Or so Alec thought.

“Mine.” Ben replied simply.

“You can’t have an account. You are not 13.” Alec squinted his eyes and looked down at his son. 

Ben looked up at him. “Like it’s hard to lie about your age on the Internet.”

In that moment, Alec swore he had a mini heart-attack, thinking what else Ben had been doing on his laptop when he wasn’t supervising him. A few of more graphic ideas flashed in his mind. He didn’t believe any adult pages had been visited but Internet was full of aggression, harmful pranks and hurtful misconceptions. After Ben went to sleep that night, Alec would google how to install a blocker for specific pages and search results on his browser.

Ben made a pleased sound and slid off the chair just as the first notes of ‘Little Hollywood’ played from the speaker.

“I do have that song on one of my playlists.” Alec said to Ben, mock-hurt, as he went back to the counter to finish chopping the cabbage. The nuggets and fries were already in the oven so making the coleslaw was the last thing to do. Well, that and taking his laptop from the kitchen table where they would eat. 

Their apartment wasn’t big enough to have a separate dining room but the kitchen had enough space to squeeze a decent-sized table there, next to a wall. It fit 4 people, 6 if they were trying hard to make it do with all their family members gathered together. After moving in Alec had been planning on creating a dining area in the living room but the extra storage space and a big couch where the two of them could lay sprawled and watch movies had turned out to be more important.

15 minutes later the bell rung and Ben bolted out of the kitchen. “Be careful! And don’t open the door - it could be someone else!” Alec shouted at him but got no response in return. With an exasperated sigh, he left the kitchen and went to open the door himself, but the little boy was nowhere in sight.

“Hello.” Magnus greeted Alec with a smile, hands full of a baking mold. 

“Hi.” Alec smiled in return then gestured towards the cheesecake. “Lemme get this for you.” Magnus handed him the mold then stepped over the threshold and took in his surroundings.

“You have quite a lovely place here.” He commented then started to take off his jacket. From where he was standing, he could only see some of the hallway anda part of the living roombut he still liked what he saw. The walls, couch and curtains were in shades of grey and blue-grey but the space still felt warm and welcoming. A giant cork board was hanging in the hallway, full of colorful pictures and family photos. Magnus kept stealing glances at it as he took off his jacket - most of the pictures featured a Ben that looked definitely younger. In one of them, he was missing both of his front teeth, and in another, he was riding a pink frog on the carousel, smiling Alec standing next to him.

“Thank you. And thank you for bringing the dessert. You really didn’t have to.” But Alec was glad he did. The cheesecake smelled divine and Alec remembered well just how delicious it was. He just hoped the man had baked it himself and didn’t buy the whole thing from the bakery.

“Nonsense.” Magnus placed his hand on Alec’s bicep and squeezed gently before letting go. “I wanted to thank you for inviting me. This version has less sugar in it but I swear it tastes just as good. The berry jam on top makes it sweet enough. Which reminds me-you should probably put it in the fridge. It can stay outside of it but unless you are planning on eating it in one go I recommend storing it somewhere cold.” Magnus took one more look around. “And where is Ben?”

“Coming!” The boy shouted and a few seconds later a little body collided with Magnus. The man laughed and patted Ben’s head as he hugged his waist. “Hi, Magnus.”

“Hi, Benny.” The man replied, looking down with mirth.

“Ben. Let go of Magnus - we can’t eat dinner here.” Alec told his son and Ben let go of the man, grabbing his hand instead and pulling him towards the kitchen. “I’m sorry for him.” Alec said to Magnus but the other man just smiled and followed the boy.

“You sit here.” Ben pulled Magnus towards one of the chairs then sat down in the one next to him, so Alec would be sitting on his other side. “We made nuggets! And fries! And slaw!”

As Ben chatted excitedly with Magnus, Alec took care of the rest of preparations. He put the cheesecake in the fridge - but not before looking at it wistfully for a moment, wishing he could have a slice right now - then picked his laptop and turned off the music, to Ben’s loud protest.

“I picked the music! It has all the good songs.” Ben complained.

The ding of the oven cut all the arguments short and Alec put on the mittens to take out baking trays. “Ben, could you bring me your plate?” Alec always put the food on Ben’s plate, even during family events. He didn’t want the boy to get crumbs or sauce all over the table and make a mess or put too much on his plate and waste food that would go uneaten.

“I’m big enough to eat like you.” Came the reply and Alec really didn’t feel like arguing right now so he just moved the nuggets to one plate and fries to another one then brought them to the table. If Ben wanted to act like a big boy - so be it. Alec could always eat Ben’s leftover nuggets later.

“It smells amazing.” Magnus commented as soon as the food was on the table. “I must admit, I was quite surprised when you texted me asking whether or not I had any food allergies but now I get where it came from. You marinated the meat?” 

“Yes.” Alec replied, feeling proud of himself. A little trick but made a difference. “Even something as simple as chicken nuggets doesn’t have to be boring.”

Before Magnus could add anything to that Ben was pulling on Alec’s sleeve, demanding his attention. “Ketchup.”

“What do we say, Ben?”

“Please.” Ben added and Alec stood up to grab the bottle from the fridge. 

Alec spoke to Magnus. “You must think that marinating the meat and making the dish more fancy and flavourful is great and everyone would appreciate it but all my efforts fly out of the window the second he drenches his nuggets in ketchup.” The man shook his head but Magnus could tell he spoke of Ben’s habits with fondness. Every time hazel eyes looked at the boy Magnus could see how much Alec loved Ben, and it was a beautiful thing to witness.

“I’m certainly going to enjoy all the effort you made.” Magnus said then cut a piece of his nugget to try it. The meat tasted spicy but not too spicy - it was still good to eat for a young kid. He was almost sure he could make out the flavour of soy sauce, mixed with something else. “Honestly, this is delicious. I need to get the recipe from you.” Magnus was sure that Cat and Dot would both love it.

“It’s actually quite simple. I can text it to you later.”

Ben squirmed in his seat, not happy that whatever conversation the adults were having didn’t include him so Magnus turned his attention back to the boy. “And look at you. Quite a nice purple hoodie you have.”

It was that moment that Alec realised Ben wasn’t wearing the same clothes as he had been in the morning. He had to change when Alec was greeting Magnus at the door.

“And purple pants!” Ben stood up from his chair to demonstrate said piece of clothing to Magnus. “I’m dressed like Alec.”

Magnus turned toward the other man with a confused expression. Alec was clearly wearing a gray sweater - and dark jeans, from what he could remember. “Are you?”

“Not like this Alec.” Ben rolled his eyes then ran somewhere.

“Ben, no.” Alec already knew what it all meant. “Ben, come back here. Finish your dinner.” He stood up but it was already too late - the boy was running back, clutching a big book to his chest. “Ben, put it back…”

“Look!” Magnus only had a few seconds to move his plate away before the photo album was dropped onto the table in front of him, opened on a specific page Ben clearly wanted him to see. The photo that caught his eyes was baby Alec - or what Magnus assumed was baby Alec - dressed from head to toe in a plushie purple sweater, pants, socks and a knitted beanie. Only his beaming face was visible from under all that clothing.

Magnus heard Alec groan and smiled at the sound. “Well. You were an adorable baby.”

“I wanted to look like Alec so granny Maryse and aunt Izzy bought me clothes. But I couldn’t find the socks when you came.” Ben was clearly upset about that. He had to stay in the bright yellow socks he had put on in the morning.

Alec remembered that story well. His mom had made sure to tell him how it all went. Ben had been staying with her and Luke without Alec for the first time. Alec had been very reluctant to leave him there alone but he had promised his college friend to attend his bachelor party and bring the old crew back together. He had almost called the whole thing off several times and driven Ben back to NYC but Maryse and Luke convinced him that Ben would be fine with them. Alec had deserved to spend some time with his friends and have a good time - he had been neglecting his social life from the moment Ben had entered his life and it had been high time he started to get back out there.

Apparently, Ben hadn’t believed Alec was ever little so Maryse had dug out old photo albums of her children. Both Ben and Luke had had a field day looking at embarrassing photos of Alec and Izzy. Once Ben’s eyes fallen onto the pic of Alec dressed all in purple, he had demanded to wear the same thing. None of the clothes Alec had packed for him had been purple and there had been no clothes that would fit a five year old around the Garroways’ house so Maryse had taken Ben out for a walk to a shopping centre. They had come back with a purple shirt, shorts and socks. 

When Alec had come to pick Ben up around noon the next day, he’d cried when he saw the little boy dressed all in purple, sleeping on the couch. It had been overwhelming and Alec never wanted to let go. Maryse had held him tightly that day and let him cry all his worries away until Luke had told them Ben was waking up.

The little boy had grown out of those clothes pretty fast but, once it had happened, Izzy - the great aunt she was - had offered to buy him more fashionable replacements. She claimed that purple was a good look on him and he looked absolutely adorable, walking around proudly dressed like his daddy. That was why Ben always had at least one shirt/hoodie, pants and socks purple combo in his closet, with an occasional hat or beanie.

“Your food will get cold.” Alec reminded Ben then turned to Magnus. “I’m really sorry for him.” 

“You have nothing to be sorry for. He is an amazing kid and you did a great job raising him.” Magnus had to admit he was curious and wanted to look at the rest of the photos but he didn’t want to pry so he closed the album and put it aside, going back to his dinner.

Alec was trying to keep his own emotions at bay, as he munched on his own serving of nuggets, hoping that Magnus wouldn’t look in his direction. He probably didn’t know how much those words meant to Alec and Alec didn’t feel like opening up about it over dinner. And they barely knew each other.

“I’m glad that you could come today. I wasn’t really sure when your shift would end or if you didn’t already have plans, and with this little fella here we try to have a regular meal schedule.” Alec changed the topic.

“My shift?” Magnus looked at Alec, puzzled. It only made the other man confused and Magnus finally understood what Alec was getting at. “Oh, no. I don’t work there.” Suddenly, Magnus felt slightly embarrassed by the whole situation. He probably should have explained it earlier, especially since he took great pride in his work. “I’m the owner of the bakery. I’m there to supervise for the next two months and after that I’ll be going back to LA where my first bakery is located.”

Magnus was afraid of the awkward silence that might follow after his confession but Ben’s eyes lit up and he started to talk right away.

“Can I see the ovens? Why are the tables round? Do you like the bread you sell? Can I cook with you? Is LA rainy? Do you also sell magic cupcakes there?”

Alec put a hand on Ben’s shoulder to make sure the boy stayed seated. “One question at the time. Magnus needs time to answer them.” He looked at his guest and smiled apologetically.

“No, we don’t sell magic cupcakes there. They were something special I created for the grand opening here. And round tables looked nice and took less space than the square ones. I simply liked them.” Magnus silently hoped that Ben would forget about wanting to see the ovens because the kitchen was not a place for a young child. Everyone was moving around fast, often carrying hot trays, and Ben liked to jump when he was excited. The idea of taking him there just screamed ‘disaster ready to happen’.

Ben was already opening his mouth to ask more questions so Alec jumped in. “Let Magnus eat in peace. And finish your own dinner first.” The boy slumped in his chair but picked up a chicken nugget and dipped it in the pool of ketchup on his plate.

“So, Alec. What do you do for a living?” The question came off slightly awkward but Magnus thought it was still better than them eating in silence. They didn’t know one another well so he wanted to avoid silences altogether, just in case. And he really wanted to learn more about Alec and Ben.

“I’m an accountant. I know, I know, nothing thrilling.” A small smile graced his lips and Magnus couldn’t help but smile back. “But I like my job. It’s not only something that ‘pays the bills’ - I genuinely enjoy working there. My best friend from college - Underhill - was actually the one who helped me get it when I was looking for a new place to work at. He told me that the schedule was rather flexible and that it paid well and at first I couldn’t believe. But it turned out to be true.” At first, his boss hadn’t been convinced that hiring someone with so little experience was a good idea but after a trial period, he had learned that Alec was hard-working and fit in well with the rest of the team. Whatever Alec didn’t finish during the day, he brought back home and the clients were pleased with his work so his boss had decided to hire him permanently, even if he was, at that time, slightly underqualified for his position. “I don’t see him often since he works at the IT department but other people are also great.”

“Mr. Pete has really yellow hair but he makes good sandwiches.” Ben chimed in. “And Martha knows cool stuff about dogs.”

The three of them continued to talk over the dinner until Ben started to yawn loudly. 

“That’s my cue to live.” Magnus smiled and stood up but Ben latched onto his arm to keep him close.

“Nooooo.” The boy protested, even though his eyes were beginning to drop. It wasn’t his bedtime yet but the whole day was quite eventful, and between running around the shopping mall, jumping in the park and being excited for Magnus’ visit, he had managed to drain his energy faster than he normally would.

“I need to get up really early tomorrow to work on a new batch of bread rolls. We are trying out a new recipe.” Ben’s eyes lit up but when he opened his mouth to ask a question, he yawned loudly instead.

Alec gently pried Ben’s hands off Magnus then picked the boy up. “You are getting bigger and bigger. One day you will be the one carrying me around.” He commented.

All the of them moved to the hall so they could bid their goodbyes. “Oh, shook.” Alec stated and Magnus looked up from where he was zipping up his bomber jacket. “I forgot about the cheesecake.” Ben only stirred in Alec’s arms at the mention of the dessert, already almost asleep.

“Alexander.” Magnus’ hand found its way to Alec’s bicep for the second time that day and squeezed it gently. “I know what my own cheesecake tastes like.” His reassuring smile made Alec relax in return. It seemed he wasn’t such a bad host, after all. “You enjoy it later. It can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days, so no worries.”

“Thank you for coming. We had a lot of fun.” Ben only nodded from where his head was pillowed on Alec’s shoulder.

“Thank you for having me. It was a wonderful evening.” Magnus replied.

“Dad?” Ben’s muffled voice shifted their full attention to the boy. Alec seemed to know what he was asking for - he took a few steps towards Magnus to close the gap between them and Ben wrapped his arms around Magnus neck and gave him a goodbye-hug.

Magnus melted into the embrace. His own arms were wrapped around the boy at a weird angle but it didn’t matter. The way Ben clung to him, slowly giving up to sleep as the seconds ticked by, felt raw and honest in a way only a child’s hug could be. Alec was almost touching him as well and Magnus could feel his warm breath on his face.

“Goodnight.” Ben mumbled but didn’t let go.

“Goodnight.” Magnus replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses on what songs could be on Ben's playlist? I'm curious what you think.  
> Next chapter we are finally going to dig into the past and learn more about Alec and Ben - we're starting on the more serious stuff. But no worries - there will still be plenty of fluff to go around.
> 
> As always - huge thanks to my beta [enkelimagnus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enkelimagnus/works) !
> 
> And come to talk to me on [tumblr](http://lewispanda.tumblr.com) \- I promise, I am a friendly person. :3 You can also find there all the graphics created for the fic.


	7. 4th of May

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually almost forgot to post this chapter. I'm not joking.
> 
> Finally we are getting to the more serious stuff.
> 
> I reccomend reading the notes at the end of this chapter.

The crowd had always been huge on Friday’ mornings. At the start of the week, people had more energy and motivation to cook their own meals but as the days progressed, more and more of them came in the morning to grab a breakfast or lunch on the go. Magnus liked to tell himself that people visited his bakery because they enjoyed the fresh produce he used and how all the flavours always combined well but the location of his business didn’t hurt at all. Everyone could drop by during their morning jog or while walking their dog and buy whatever they wanted - from salads to cakes.

Magnus had been observing his staff from where he was leaning against the doorframe connecting the corridor that led to the kitchens and the front of the bakery. He was proud of that team - they worked hard and had smiles plastered on their faces even during rush hours. And he hadn’t witnessed any quarrels so far, which was also great. Having a great team was half of your success and those people were a perfect fit for his business.

As he watched his employees and sipped on his coffee, his thoughts drifted to Alec and Ben every now and then. After the first time he had visited them, he had received another invitation and they had another dinner on Saturday. He briefly saw Alec on Monday morning, when he came for his usual sandwiches, but then his two favourite customers had stopped coming altogether. At first he hadn’t realised it - but around Wednesday evening something had felt odd. As if something had been missing. Once he had gone back home and skyped Dot, who had commented on how distracted he had been, it had gotten to him that he hadn’t heard about the magical man and his quest since Saturday. And that it had made him oddly sad.

Ben and Alec had never stopped by on Thursday but Magnus had waited for them to come the whole day and he couldn’t help but worry when they hadn’t. It had been childish and he had known it, but still, he couldn’t help himself. Those two men had become a permanent fixture in his life and he was almost sure he would miss them once he would move back to his sunny LA. They could always exchange skype info and video chat every now and then, he told himself, but it wouldn’t be the same.

His train of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of a crying child. Magnus glanced at the front door and saw a distressed-looking Alec, entering with crying Ben in his arms, while trying to balance both of his bags on his shoulder. A few clients gave them dirty looks and Alec sent them apologetic smiles in return. 

Magnus rounded the counter, leaving his coffee cup there, and walked up to Alec and Ben.

“Oh, um, hi, Magnus.” From how close they were standing Magnus could see the dark circles under Alec’s eyes. ”Ben is coming to work with me today and I just wanted to grab sandwiches for us real quick. I’m really sorry for all the crying but he didn’t sleep well.”

Magnus just waved his hand. “Don’t worry. Why don’t you wait outside as I pack you something?”

Alec looked both guilty and grateful for the offer. “Thank you very much.” He handed Magnus a couple of bills he had in his pocket then walked outside, Ben still crying in his arms.

Magnus grabbed two paper bags and packed a few cheese and ham sandwiches then made a cup of coffee for Alec and went outside, his own beverage long forgotten. Ben was no longer crying loudly but instead he was sniffing into the fabric of Alec’s suit jacket as Alec rubbed his back soothingly. Both of them looked worn-out.

“Thank you.” Alec put as much energy as he could muster into a smile he gave Magnus but it still didn’t look very convincing. “Really sorry for all of this. He caught a stomach bug on Monday - he’s feeling much better right now, you won’t catch it.” Alec felt the need to clarify. “We didn’t get much sleep for the past few days and he was too cranky and weak to go back to school today. Ms Josie was busy so I had no other choice but to take him to work with me but he doesn’t want to go there.” Ben made a noise of complain from where his face was smashed against Alec’s shoulder. “I know it’s boring there, buddy. And I know you’d rather sleep it off. But daddy needs to work and I can’t leave you home alone.”

“I’ll stay with him.” Even Ben raised his head to look at Magnus. “My employees have to learn how to deal without me anyway and they are already doing everything perfectly - I think they can manage one day without their boss breathing down their necks.” Magnus smiled at the stunned men. “Me and Ben already know one another and we will have fun together while you’re at work, right, Benny?”

Alec didn’t know what to say. He felt bad with dropping a moody Ben on Magnus head but at the same time he knew he could really use the offered help. “Are you sure? He may no longer be sick but he might get cranky. And I don’t want to ask too much of you.”

“One hundred percent positive.” Magnus replied. “And you didn’t ask - I offered.”

“Thank you. I promise to pay you for the babysitting.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t pay your friends for enjoying spending time with your kid.” Alec wasn’t sure Magnus knew what he was getting himself into but the prospect of him looking over Ben and him being able to nap in peace better than the alternative of dragging him to a busy office.

“Thank you once again.” Alec replied.

Magnus could see how some of the tension left Alec’s body. “Lead the way.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben had been dozing on and off for most of the morning. Alec had encouraged Magnus to watch some tv or help himself to a book from his small library and Magnus had decided to go with the second option. Even though Alec had claimed Ben was immune to any sound while sleeping Magnus didn’t want to risk interrupting his rest - the boy truly looked bone-tired.

Magnus silently hoped Alec’s batteries would recharge as well. He had received a few texts from Alec throughout the morning, asking how Ben was and how Magnus himself was doing. The man was working hard but Magnus had never heard him complain. He seemed like someone who put everyone else first and Magnus hoped he had people in his life who took care of him in return.

Around noon, Ben emerged from his room, clutching a plush whale to his chest, and asked Magnus to cook him a soup. Thankfully, the fridge was stocked well-enough for him to whip up something that would be easy for the stomach yet nutritious and he watched Ben watch cartoons as he chopped veggies. 

Once they both had eaten, Ben looked much better. He asked Magnus to play with him and the two of them built an enormous castle on the coffee table. Magnus had never had much experience looking over young children but so far everything seemed to go well. After being done with the castle, both of them decided to make dinner - and bake something for Alec to cheer him up once he would get back - so they dressed up and went on a short shopping trip down the road.

Kitchen is where Alec found them once he came from work. The whole apartment was filled with delicious smells and happy laughter and it was a pleasant surprise to come back home to. For the last couple of days, the image that had greeted Alec every afternoon had been sick Ben, sprawled on the couch. His boy and Magnus whispering in the kitchen and clearly having fun was a stark contrast to that.

Once Ben saw him, he jumped on him and Alec barely had any time to catch the boy and lift him up. “We baked muffins!” Ben shouted.

“It was supposed to be a surprise!” Magnus tried to glare at the boy but he was sporting a shit-eating grin on his face instead. Ben’s enthusiasm was adorable.

“I am surprised. Very, very surprised.” Alec kissed Ben’s cheek then put the boy down and turned to Magnus. “You really didn’t have to.” Magnus had already done so much. He had dropped whatever he had been doing to babysit a child he hadn’t known that well, cooked him a soup to eat, and apparently had decided to make them dinner and bake something sweet. And Alec was pretty sure they had no flour in the house so Magnus had probably gone shopping as well. “At least let me pay you back for the groceries.”

“Are you throwing me out before we eat together?” Magnus voice was teasing but deep down, he was afraid he had overstepped some boundaries. After all, he only had permission to look over Ben and not take full advantage of Alec’s kitchen.

“Noooo. Nothing like that. Please, stay.” Alec replied as he took off his suit jacket. He had changed into a different one once they had come back home in the morning - one that had no snot stains. 

“Then there is no need to pay me back if we’re going to eat it together. Treat it as me asking you over for dinner. At your place”

“I’m hungry.” Ben proclaimed loudly then took his place by the table.

“Good thing because I think dinner is ready.” Magnus smiled at him.

“Let me help you.” Alec hung the jacket on the chair then reached to the cabinet to take out three plates. “It smells great. What did you cook?”

“It’s a simple chicken with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Nothing that might upset Ben’s stomach.” Magnus replied. “And those are banana muffins with blueberries, nuts and seeds. A healthy way to start a day or snack in-between meals.”

“You are my hero.” Alec said as he handed the plates one by one to Magnus.

By the time they were done with their dinner, Ben’s cheek had been resting against the kitchen table and his eyes were shut. It had been an eventful day and the boy had still been tired from the aftermath of the stomach bug so neither of men were surprised Ben was falling asleep on the spot.

“Time to go to bed, buddy.” said Alec and Ben didn’t have the energy to protest. Last time Magnus had been there, Alec had allowed Ben to stay up late. They had played a board game - Ben had won - and talked until 10pm, when Magnus had really needed to get going. It had been a very pleasant evening. “You will see Magnus again tomorrow.”

“I’ll grab my jacket while you put him to bed.” Magnus said and stood up. 

“You can stay.” Alec said, hazel eyes looking hopefully at Magnus. And Magnus couldn’t resist that look, even if he wanted. 

“I guess and hour more in a good company won’t hurt.” Magnus replied. 

The tired smile Alec gave him was the most beautiful thing Magnus had seen the entire week.

“Ben, go and get changed. I’ll load the dishwasher and join you in a moment.”

The boy slid from his chair and with great effort walked to his room, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Alec’s eyes followed his retreating form with fondness and Magnus watched the whole scene with a similar look on his face.

“I’ll tuck him in and get back to you in a second. Usually we read a story or two before bed but I have a feeling today he will fall asleep before I even open a book.” Alec told Magnus as he placed the last plate in the dishwasher.

“Don’t worry about me. He is your priority.” A silent understanding passed between them as their eyes met from across the kitchen. They got caught up in a moment, looking at one another in a dimly-lit room, and didn’t hear the footsteps approaching the room.

“Dad?” came the voice from the doorframe. Ben was standing there, dressed in Spider-Man pyjamas and clutching his stuffed whale.

“I’m coming.” Alec walked up to Ben and picked him up then turned to Magnus. “You don’t have to wait in here. The couch is much more comfortable.”

Magnus wordlessly followed them out of the kitchen and turned on the lights in the living room as Alec made his was to Ben’s bedroom.

“ ‘night, Magnus.” the boy said.

“Goodnight, Benny-bear.” Magnus waved after the boy and watched him and Alec disappear into the bedroom before sitting down on the couch.

As soon as he sat down, he heard a soft voice coming from Ben’s room. Magnus didn’t want to eavesdrop but there was something rhythmic and very familiar about the sounds. It took him a moment to realise that what he was hearing was ‘Fireflies’ by the Owl City. Alec was singing it slightly off key and his voice sounded rather flat but it was endearing nonetheless. Magnus curled one of his legs under himself, leaned his head against the back of the couch and listened to Alec. He closed his eyes and imagined Alec kneeling next to a little bed, brushing hair out off Ben’s face, fireflies flying all around them and a paper model of Earth rotating under the ceiling. It was a beautiful image that made Magnus smile softly.

The song wasn’t long and soon Alec emerged from the room. “I don’t have any alcohol to offer but I could make us some tea. Or coffee.”

“Tea would be lovely.” Magnus replied.

“Great.” A few minutes later, Alec came back with two steaming mugs of tea and placed them on the coffee table. “I only had black and peppermint. I doubted you might want the second option.”

“Maybe I like to be adventurous with my tea options.” Both men chuckled and Magnus reached for his mug. The tea was too hot to drink yet but he liked to hold the warm mug against his chest, the warmth seeping through his layers of clothing and the aroma of tea making him relax further into couch cushions.

“How’s your business?” They had talked about Magnus bakery a few times after Magnus had admitted he was the owner. Alec seemed to have a genuine interest in how Magnus was doing, if he had come up with any new recipes or what small changes he wanted to make, and Magnus liked to share those things with him.

“It’s going really well. More smoothly than my first one. I guess I have more experience now than I had back then.”

“You surely do.” Alec took a small sip of his tea then grimaced at how hot it was. Magnus chuckled at the face he had made and Alec rolled his eyes in return. “Don’t laugh at me. I’ve been dreaming about this moment since Monday. It’s not nice to judge me for wanting a cup of tea so badly I burned my tongue.”

“No judgement here.” Magnus replied.

They sat there in comfortable silence, their eyes occasionally meeting. Magnus could see that Alec’ thoughts were elsewhere and he was curious what his companion was thinking about.

“A penny for your thoughts?” A pair of hazel eyes turned to him and Alec’s lips stretched into a lazy smile.

“The events of this week brought up some memories. That’s all.” Alec looked down at his mug.

“I really admire you.” Magnus blurted out of blue, suddenly feeling shy. “You work hard and you come back home and take care of Ben. And I’ve never once heard you complain how tired you are, even now when I can see the dark circles under your eyes.” They were looking at each other, both holding their breaths for what might come next. 

Alec shifted his gaze from Magnus’ face to stare into the window. Magnus had started to think he should had never opened his mouth, that it was too personal, but before he could try to take it back Alec spoke again.

“I don’t know how I’m doing it. I know I work a lot and that I don’t spend as much time as I would like with him. He still turned out to be such an amazing child.” Alec was self-deprecating, not taking the compliment Magnus had given him.

Magnus tentatively reached to place his hand on Alec’s shoulder and the man finally looked at him. “You are doing an exceptional work. You walk him to school every day and pick him up twice a week, sacrificing your lunch breaks to do so. You go out with him to play in the park, read stories to him every night, help him with homework. You cook, you take care of him...you love him.” Magnus gaze was soft as he stared into Alec’s eyes.

“I do love him. I love him so much.” Alec wiped the tears that gathered in the corners of his eyes with his sleeve. He was tired and all the emotions he had been holding back for the past few days hit him like a train. And Magnus’ hand on his arm was warm and comforting, encouraging him to just let go. “Fuck, Magnus. When a child enters your life, suddenly your whole world changes. Suddenly a carpet no longer is a fashionable accessory in your home but something to keep his butt warm when he is playing on the floor. And it has to stay firmly in its place, otherwise he might trip and hurt himself. And all the sharp edges of the furniture are your worst enemies. When you go shopping, you think ‘Will it be healthy? Do I know a recipe that can convince him to eat those veggies? Will those shoes keep his feet dry during winter?’. But all that extra effort is worth it because you can’t imagine loving anyone like you love him.” Alec sniffed a little and Magnus shifted closer to him on the couch so his knee was touching Alec’s thigh. Alec put his mug down and turned so his body was facing Magnus and their knees were touching. Magnus hand slid down his arm and covered his hand and Alec turned it upwards to lace their fingers together.

“You’re probably curious why a young gay man is a a single father.” Alec looked at Magnus with a raised eyebrow but it wasn’t accusatory - just playful. He still looked very tired but his back wasn’t as stiff as it was mere minutes ago and he had leaned his shoulder against the back of the couch.

Magnus just shrugged because he couldn’t deny it. “You don’t have to tell me.” He was curious about it but he didn’t want to push Alec. It was his life and Magnus was only a temporary part of it, and not even a big one. He had no right to demand any information from him, especially something so personal.

It was Alec’s turn to shrug. “I don’t mind you knowing.” 

He stayed silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and Magnus wished he could capture that moment and keep it forever in his memory. He wanted to remember how the soft light made Alec’s face look younger and more vulnerable, how the man absentmindedly traced circles on Magnus’ hand with his thumb, how the mug Magnus was holding was still warm. Something was changing between them and Magnus could feel it. 

Alec took a deep breath. “I have started to volunteer at the foster home when I were in college and I continued after I graduated. Came there twice a week to play with the children and help the staff with minor tasks. I don’t really remember how I got there but I enjoyed spending time with the kids. And one day they brought him in. He was only three and crying so badly. The moment he saw me he latched onto my leg and didn’t want to let go. It was a terrible day altogether. The stomach flu was in full swing, at least half of the kids had it and the second half were either recently recovered and drained or trying hard not to catch it. We were understaffed for the entire situation. And Ben kept crying, on top of that. He was among people he had never met, away from home, and kids around him were crying as well. No one knew how to calm him down or convince him to let go of me. So I did a very dumb thing and told my boss I could take him home for the night. At that time, I was living in a small studio apartment with a pull-out couch, definitely not the best place for a sleepover. She looked at me as if I grew a second head but then said that she would lose her job because of it one day but she gave me permission to take him home. They hadn’t even unpacked his things so I took the bag and left with him. I spent the entire night on the floor next to the couch because it got stuck and didn’t want to cooperate, only leaving enough room for one person to sleep on. And I fell in love with him. With how peaceful he looked while sleeping. With the first smile he gave me. With the face he made at my weak attempt at making scrambled eggs.” Magnus was positive that Alec’s smile in that moment, as he was telling that story, could move mountains. 

“So the first thing I did after dropping him off was going straight to my boss and telling her I wanted to adopt him. We had a very long conversation about it. I was young, barely out of college. She knew I was good with children but she let me know that looking over them twice a week wasn’t the same as living with one 24/7 and being responsible for their well-being. She suggested that becoming a foster parent first would be better for both me and Ben - I would see if adopting is truly what I want and Ben could move in with me quicker. It would also mean potentially fewer moves for him, because they might place him in a few homes before I would be cleared for adoption. We could start to bond quicker and I would have more time to learn about his needs. She also directed me where I should go and what paperwork I needed to provide. I went to work that day then straight back home and researched until the early hours of the morning. I remember I run out of coffee around 4 am.” Alec chuckled softly and Magnus smiled.

“I never knew the whole process was so complicated. The next day - after getting around two hours of sleep - I went to the LGBT community center in NYC to get more information from them. They told me about the meetings that took place once a month where I could get information I needed as well as different meetings with queer families and children they organised. They also encouraged me to become an lgbt-friendly house and talked me through the steps of becoming one. I have learned so much during those 24 hours and barely had time to wrap my head around it so when I got back home I just dropped dead on the couch and slept till morning.”

“I took the next day to just think it through. I needed to think if it would be the best option for Ben, since he was the most important part of this equation. I didn’t find a simple answer that day but I got more motivation to figure it out. I knew that my apartment wouldn’t do and that I needed a better job to fully support the two of us. There’s financial aid available for both foster and adoptive parents but I wanted to show them I could do it on my own. They couldn’t deny me the right to adopt based solely on my sexual orientation but they could still tell me ‘no’, using other factors and feeding into their prejudices. I didn’t think they all were bigoted assholes but I wanted to be safe, just in case. You know, always assume the worst and all of that. So I called my friends, asking if they knew about any good job offers. And one of them did. That’s how I landed my current position, but you already know that story.” They both exchanged warm smiles and Magnus squeezed Alec’s hand.

“So I found a job. I found a new apartment. I got medical clearance, they took my fingerprints to run them through the State Central Register for Abuse and Neglect - I have to admit that was the most surreal part of the process. I finished my training, they conducted the home study and I got cleared for being a foster home. Ben still lived in the same foster home and I tried to visit him as often as I could. The first day he moved in...I was so happy.” Alec’s eyes shone with unshed tears again. “I knew that my fight wasn’t over yet but it felt like a milestone. After months of work, I just wanted to enjoy that moment. We went out and got ice cream together then took a ball to the park and played.“

“Izzy was the first person from my family who met Ben. He still called me Alec but she insisted on being an ‘aunt’. Mom and Luke were the same. Ben had never had an aunt or grandparents - he was an only child of two children who, just like him, had been in the foster care their whole lives. He barely spent any time with them before they died in a car crash, leaving him alone.” Ben didn’t remember his parents but he knew about them and a few times a year he and Alec visited their grave to clean it up and leave fresh flowers. “He loved calling them ‘auntie’ and ‘granny’ and ‘grandpa’. And he loved our elderly neighbour - Ms Josie. You should have seen him, Magnus. He just...thrived. He was so shy in the foster home, even though he didn’t feel bad there, but when he moved in with me he became a completely different child.”

“We had yet to finalise the adoption. We found a lawyer and it took us some time but we got there. I was so scared.” The tears were trailing down Alec’s face and Magnus put his mug down and reached out to wipe them with his thumb. “So scared that they would take him away from me. I already loved him so much. Every step of the way, that thought stayed at the back of my head. And when he moved in with me, it became more persistent. When we went to the Family Court to sign the papers and he asked if I was his dad now… I hesitated. I hesitated and he saw it.” Alec was sobbing now and Magnus closed the space between them to pull him into a one-arm embrace, his other hand still holding Alec’s tightly. “I don’t even know why I did it. There is no excuse for what I did. He had been through so much, Magnus, and I hurt him even more.”

Magnus was rubbing Alec’s back soothingly. Minute by minute, the sobs started to die down until the only sound left was Alec’s steady breathing. They eventually pulled back from their embrace but their hands became firmly clasped together.

“I’m really sorry for this.” Alec was looking down at his lap, refusing to meet Magnus gaze.

“Well, I’m not. You had a very tough week and needed to let it all out. I’m glad I could be there for you. You truly are an exceptional man, Alexander, and Ben is lucky to have you. You fought for him hard and it wasn’t your fault that you reacted that way.” Magnus could see that Alec didn’t believe him but he hadn’t expected anything else. It always took more than one conversation to heal. “It’s clear how much you two love and support each other and I think it’s a beautiful thing.”

They sat there in silence, just enjoying the presence of another human being, until Alec raised his eyes to meet Magnus’.

“Thank you. For everything you’ve done today.” he said.

Magnus just leaned in for another hug. 

They parted after a few minutes and Magnus reached for his mug. The tea had turned cold but he finished the rest of it then stood up. “Get some sleep, Alec. You really need rest.” Alec nodded then stood up to walk with his guest to the front door.

“Oh.” While reaching for his jacket Magnus realised he was still holding the mug, so he handed it to Alec. The other man smiled, amused by Magnus’ forgetfulness.

“Goodnight, Magnus. I’ll drop by tomorrow to get some bread for breakfast. Or did you buy it as well?” Alec teased.

“I would never.” Magnus grimaced. “The store-bought bread is flat and flavourless. Never trust those things.”

Alec chuckled at that. “Then I guess we will be seeing each other tomorrow? Or do you sleep in on Saturdays?”  
“I must admit, I like to get a few extra hours of sleep during the weekend, but I may make an exception for you.” Magnus replied.

They bid their goodbyes for the second time that night, then Alec closed the door behind his guest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not a guide on How to adopt as an US citizen. First of all, I'm not from the US so I don't even claim to understand the nuances of the American law. Second of all - I've done my research but if I got anything wrong, please, tell me. Third - I didn't put everything I've found, here. This is Alec telling his story while being emotional. He focuses on some things and omits the rest. Heck, that whole journey was emotional for him and he was under a lot of pressure (mostly from himself) and stress, so his memory also isn't the best.
> 
> Him and Ben are slowly getting to a place where they would solely use 'dad', and you will see more of that. Kudos to a person who commented on how Alec has been strictly reffered to as Ben's guardian and that Ben didn't use the word 'dad'. It has been done on purpose and it's great to see someone paid attention to that. And kudos for people who have also seen this and kept it to themselves. If Alec's explanation (I do realise it wasn't the best one, since he was very emotional while telling that story - and it's only from his point of view, he is still struggling with understanding it) is not enough for you I encourage you to drop in the comments section and ask for a more detailed explanation. Or write to me on [tumblr](http://lewispanda.tumblr.com)
> 
> Huge thanks to my beta [enkelimagnus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enkelimagnus/works), who has to suffer every week through me not using enough commas xD I promise to do better on my coma work and be more bold with them.
> 
> And thank you all for reading, commenting and leaving kudos! I hope you are enjoying this fic as much as I am.
> 
> I already have plans for a few one shots for this verse after this fic ends. I'm also taking request - both for this verse and for SH in general (and I'm looking for a beta for a few projects I have in mind. Or just one of them xD ).


	8. 13th/14th of May

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to apologise for my absence. The next chapter is almost ready, so it will be posted on Tuesday, but I wanted to post this one earlier. 
> 
> It probably was the hardest chapter to write, because it felt the most personal. Magnus is dealing with some pretty heavy stuff, and writing about it wasn't easy.
> 
> I'd like to dedicate this chapter to one of the people who had commented on the fic - not sure if I can write their username here, but they will know who I'm reffering to, once they read the chapter. Apart from dedicating it to them, I want to apologise - they will also know why. I'm attaching a box of kleenex to this apology. And once the fic is over, and I'll start posting the one-shots - I promise, you will see your bugger.
> 
> I also want to give a big hug - or some cookies, for those who don't like hugs - to every person in this amazing fandom. The recent news hit us all hard, but it's not over yet. This fandom will continue thriving, I'm sure of it. 
> 
> My beta didn't read this chapter - she is a busy woman - but I still want to thank her for her work. Once her new fic comes out, I will link it in the end notes. Seriously, she is an amazing writer.

It was Sunday morning, and Alec and Ben were making their way to the bakery again. The sight of the half-finished game of Life on their table, the one that they had never got to finish because Magnus had to get back home for the night, inspired them to ask Magnus to come over for the second day in a row. “You can’t pause life.” Ben had argued, and Alec had had to admit, there had been a lot of truth to that.

 

It would be the 6th time Alec would be seeing Magnus that week. Beside Magnus visiting them both on Tuesday and Saturday - they watched The Lion King, and played board games - Alec and Ben visited the bakery on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The trio had spend almost every day of the week together.

 

Magnus was starting to become a permanent fixture in their lives, and Alec couldn’t say he minded. He liked the guy. A lot. Magnus was great with Ben, funny, creative and passionate. He had a kind heart and always managed to find ways to surprise Alec, in the best possible ways. 

 

Yesterday, while watching Magnus get ready to head home, Alec had realised that he would miss him once he would go back to LA. 

 

“Magnus!” Ben run to the counter, excited. 

 

“Hello.” Came the curt reply. 

 

Alec was too busy eyeing the fresh batch of cinnamon rolls to pay attention to what was happening - he hadn’t had one in ages, and they looked sinfully delicious.

 

“We need to finish playing the game! Come with us!” said the boy. If Ben could jump over the counter, he would be dragging Magnus outside by now. He loved to have their friend over even more than Alec did.

 

“I can’t.” 

 

Those two words gained Alec’s attention.“You can’t?” He joined them by the counter, frowning at Magnus. “I mean, obviously, we won’t force you to leave the bakery now. You’re not our hostage, and we’re more patient than the pirates.” Alec opted for a light joke.

 

Magnus eyes didn’t even meet his, and his tone was cold. “I can’t. I’m a busy man, Alec. A busy man who has different responsibilities. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Without waiting for an answer, Magnus disappeared through the backdoor. Both Alec and Ben just stared after him, speechless, until Sophie joined them by the counter.

 

“Hello. What would you like to have?” she asked politely, then tucked her pink hair behind her ears in a nervous manner.

 

“But..” Ben started,  but Alec placed a hand on his shoulder to silence him.

 

“The yellow sparkling donut, please.” Suddenly Alec didn’t feel like eating, but he wanted Ben to still have something sweet. That, and Sophie didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of the frustration he suddenly felt because of Magnus. He had no idea why the man had reacted that way. Magnus had never refused a meeting before - and never been so rude. If he were busy, they could have just postpone it. No big deal. But instead he had barked his reply, then stormed off.

 

“One yellow sparkling donut, right away.” Alec and Ben silently watched Sophie pack the treat, then ring them up. They exchanged money and awkward goodbyes, then the two men made their way out of the bakery.

 

“Why didn’t Magnus want to come?” Ben asked, clutching the paper bag close to his chest. He would probably smash what’s inside - Alec thought, but didn’t have the energy to tell him so.

 

“I don’t know.” Alec replied, simply. “I don’t know.”

 

\----------------------------------------

 

Monday morning found Alec walking briskly towards the bakery with determination. Magnus’ behaviour had been on Alec’s mind all Sunday, and he couldn’t figure out why the man had acted the way he did. 

 

After Alec’s irritation had disappeared, he had started thinking more clearly. Indeed, he had assumed that Magnus had nothing else to do, but spend time with him and Ben, which was wrong of him to do. He should have had accepted the refusal to come to their place, and shut up after Magnus had told him he couldn’t meet with them. Not treat Magnus words as a joke. It was disrespectful.

 

But the way Magnus had reacted was still odd to Alec. Not the refusal itself, no. Magnus had become angry really fast, then left the room.

 

Maybe something had been bothering him, and Alec’s behaviour only added fuel to that? What if there had been problems at the bakery? What if Magnus had been getting sick? What if there had been some family emergency, and he had been stuck on the other end of the country? 

 

So Alec had decided to offer to talk about anything that had been bothering Magnus. He liked to refer to Magnus as his ‘friend’, in his head - but he still knew that they hadn’t known each other for long. The fact that Magnus had been a witness to his meltdown didn’t mean they suddenly became besties. But even if they weren’t friends, Alec wanted him to know that he would listen to him, and try to help, as much as he could. 

 

He understood that going there and telling Magnus all of that was a risky move - he could have gotten it all wrong, and could anger the man even more. But somehow, he was willing to try. Just in case Magnus did need someone to be there for him.

 

The moment he opened the front door, their eyes met. Magnus stared at him for a moment, while talking to the customer, then quickly averted his eyes. He didn’t disappear through the backdoor again, though, which Alec took as a small victory. 

 

Once it was his turn to order, he leaned over the counter, so the person behind him wouldn’t hear what he was about to say. “I’m sorry I acted like a dick on Sunday. I just want you to know, that if you need to talk about anything, I’ll always find time.” Alec had to admit, he could have phrased it much better. He bit his bottom lip, and waited for Magnus reaction.

 

The other man reached for a paper bag without breaking eye contact, then nodded wordlessly. 

 

Finally Alec could breathe again.

 

Magnus packed him a sandwich and a croissant. “It has a raspberry jam inside. I recommend having it with a flat white, but the coffee has to be hot. If your coffee machine at work doesn’t make flat whites, you can always have a regular coffee with a lot of milk.” He flashed Alec a small smile, then rung him up. They exchanged money, and Alec made his way outside, really glad that he had gathered enough courage to say all those things to Magnus.

 

Around 11 am his phone buzzed on his desk.

 

From: Magnus

 

**Could I drop by today, after Ben falls asleep?**

 

Alec wasn’t expecting that. But if Magnus wanted to talk alone - Alec would be happy to do so.

 

To: Magnus

 

**Of course. I’ll text you after he’s in bed. His bedtime is technically 9 pm, but sometimes he stays up longer.**

 

Not long after he received another text.

 

From: Magnus

 

**Thank you.**

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Just as promised, as soon as Ben’s eyelids dropped, Alec texted Magnus. He spent the next 30 minutes cleaning the living room and mopping the bathroom floor, where it was still wet after Ben’s bath. As he was arranging the throw cover on the couch, he heard his phone beep with an incoming message. 

 

From: Magnus

 

**I’m standing outside.**

 

“Magnus.” Alec greeted him through the threshold. “You could have rung the bell.”

 

“I didn’t want to wake Ben.” He replied, as he stepped inside then took off his jacket.

 

“You can keep…” Alec started, but Magnus had already took off his shoes. “You know that nothing can wake him up. Tea? Coffee? We even have chamomile.”

 

“Chamomile would be perfect.” Magnus made his way to the couch, as Alec put the kettle on. 

 

A few moments later he came back with two steaming mugs. “I should invest in one of those electric kettles. My mom keeps telling me, that Ben could get burned. He never expressed any interest in touching a hot iron kettle, but one can never know when the day would come.”

 

“A wise woman.” Magnus took his mug, and held it against his thigh. They were sitting on the opposite sides of the couch, facing one another. It reminded Alec of the last time they had a serious conversation in that this.

 

Magnus broke the awkward silence. “I’m really sorry for my behaviour yesterday.” Alec open his mouth to speak, but Magnus held up his hand to silence him. “You and Ben did nothing wrong. I was in a bad mood, and I took it out on you. There is no excuse for what I did.”

 

“Magnus.” Alec placed his free hand on his shoulder. 

 

“It has been a rough few days. Heck, a rough couple of months.” Magnus breathed in the aroma of his herbs, then sighed deeply. “But we don’t have to talk about this. Honestly, just your presence...your words. They meant a lot.”

 

Alec was no expert, when it came to human beings. He often navigated blindly through relationships with others. But he wanted to reassure Magnus, somehow. “I will listen, if you want to talk.” 

 

Magnus took a tentative sip of his drink, then spoke again. “I lost two of my friends, recently. My business partners. Just before Sticks and Scones opened.” He looked up to see if he could continue, and Alec nodded. “Raphael and Ragnor were my friends from college. The three of us attended a business school, and decided to open a bakery, once we would graduate. It took us some time, but eventually, we did it. And it was such a success, we decided to open another one. This time in NY, instead of LA. A stupid idea, I know. But Ragnor wanted to move here permanently. Something about the city having less annoying tourists.” Magnus smiled fondly at the memory. “He was also a Brit, born and bred. He didn’t like the LA heat.”

 

“Raphael hated planes with burning passion. All four of us made fun of him, but he refused to get on the plane. So Ragnor decided they would make a little road trip here, and I would fly with some of his belongings on the 16th. But I never got to. A drunk driver crashed into them. Ragnor died on the spot, and Raphael was gone before I could get to the hospital. We attended their funerals a few days later.” Alec reached for Magnus free hand and squeezed it.

 

“I’m really sorry.” It was a cliche thing to say, but Alec didn’t know what else to tell Magnus.

 

“When I came back from your place on Saturday, Cat called me. She was one of our mutual friends. She wanted to check on me, since she thinks I’m still not taking it well. And then I realised that I forgot. Fuck, I forgot that it was the two months anniversary.” Magnus hands began to shake, so he put the mug down on the coffee table. “It’s not that I should mourn them. I know they wouldn’t want me to be sad. What happened, happened. There is no going back in time. And I have the bakery to overlook. They put so much into it - they died because of it. I need to make sure that it will be a huge success. But I can’t just forget. I should remember. I’m not going to walk around, moping, but I just...I shouldn’t be so happy!” A few tears spilled from the corners of his eyes, and he wiped them hastily. “They are dead, and here I am, laughing all night. Not mourning doesn’t mean I should do that.”

 

Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus, and pulled him into a hug. The other man clung to his t-shirt. “It’s okay to grieve. And it’s okay to feel happy.” Alec knew there were no right words in that type of situation. But Magnus was alive, and struggling. And Alec needed to do  _ something _ . “They were your friends. And they died abruptly. It’s okay not to be okay. Noone expects you to keep it together, and continue with your life as if nothing have happened.” 

 

Magnus had heard similar words from Cat and Dot, but somehow hearing them from Alec was different. He didn’t feel the need to be strong for Alec and pretend nothing had happened - he felt like shoving vulnerability wouldn’t be too much of a burden for the other. He could just let go.

 

“But I have obligations. Things to oversee. I want this bakery to do well. I want them to be proud. They wouldn’t want me to be sad.” Magnus babbled.

 

“But they would understand. You need time to cope with all of this. To feel that sadness. I have no idea what I would do if anything happened to my friends. Probably hole myself up in the bedroom and cry for days.” Alec replied.

 

“But you have Ben. He comes first.” Magnus argued weakly.

 

“I also have my mother and my sister. They would take him in for a few days, if I needed them to. And you have all the staff at the bakery, who will work there without you anyway, in a few months. And Cat.” Alec added the name of the friend Magnus had mentioned a minute ago. “And you have me.” 

 

“But I can’t! Because you and Ben...you make me so happy. It feels like I’m not respecting...” That inner conflict had been an integral part of Magnus for the past two months. He had felt as if he should get a grip, and not feel sad, but at the same time being happy had felt like insulting Raphael and Ragnor. For the most part, Magnus just felt numb. But that feeling was forced upon him by himself.

 

Alec realised that the emotions Magnus was experiencing were very complex. His world had turned upside down, and he hadn’t allowed himself to really go through with the transition. This most amazing man in the world had been hurting himself, and Alec’s heart cracked open upon realising that.

 

“Magnus.” Alec spoke softly. “It’s okay to cry. And it’s okay to be happy. Most importantly - you need to allow yourself to go through this. I wish it had never happened. I wish you had your friends with you. But it did happen, and it wasn’t nothing. And you will miss them. But you will also find reasons to smile. If you’d rather stay away from me and Ben for a while, to let yourself grieve - I will respect it. But, please, don’t shut out everyone. Reach out to someone.”

 

“Oh, Alexander.” Magnus gripped Alec’s shirt tighter, as fresh tears run down his cheeks. He buried his face in Alec’s shoulder, not caring that the fabric was getting damp. Strong arms circled his waist tighter, and held him as he let all his negative emotions out.

 

Neither of them realised when they fell asleep.


	9. 15th - 19th of May

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta-read. So feel free to scream at me for all the mistakes.
> 
> There is finally a chapter count! There may be one chapter more, or one less, but we will circle around the number 15.

“Magnus!”

 

The excited shriek was far from what Alec had expected to wake up to on a weekday. Usually he was the one who had to drag Ben out of bed. And he was pretty sure Ben had called him  the wrong name. 

 

Alec hummed, well-aware that his alarm hadn’t gone off yet, which meant he still could sleep. He wrapped his arms tighter around the pillow, and let out a content sigh.

 

“Ben?” That voice certainly didn’t belong to him.

 

Alec’s eyes shot wide open.

 

Ben was jumping in Magnus lap, as the man stared at him with confusion. Slowly, the events of the previous night came back to Alec, and he blushed furiously. Then quickly let go of the pillow that turned out to be Magnus’ arm. 

 

“Where’s my phone?” Alec murmured, his voice still deep from sleep. He looked around, searching for it, but with no success. “What time is it?” 

 

“A little bit after 7.” Magnus replied from his place on the couch. His shirt was ruffled, his hair were sticking at odd angles, but there were no tear stains on his cheeks. And no smeared make up, which meant Magnus had come here bare-faced last night, and Alec hadn’t even realised.

 

Ben had started to grow impatient. “I’m hungryyyyy.” He whined, slid down to the floor, then clung to Magnus leg dramatically. The older man patted his head.

 

“Sheep, we’re running a little late. Go get ready, and I’ll make breakfast.” Ben reluctantly let go of Magnus, and walked slowly towards his room. 

 

Magnus and Alec looked at each other.

 

“I’m really sorry for falling asleep. I didn’t mean to. I’ll get going.” Magnus started to stand up, but Alec stopped him by grabbing his arm. 

 

“Please, stay. I may not be an excellent chef, but I do make mean chocolate pancakes.” Alec wanted Magnus to know that he didn’t pity him. He didn’t want him to go home and sulk, probably blaming himself for imposing. Alec would want him to stay for breakfast even if the confessions from the previous night had never taken place - heck, he would want him to stay for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

Magnus just stared at him, for what felt like ages, studying his face. Then a small smile graced his lips - one that soon transformed in a full smirk. “I can never say no to pancakes. Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, after all.”

 

“Really?” Alec blurted out.

 

“Alexander. I’m wounded that you didn’t remember.” Magnus placed his free hand on his chest, mock-offended. “Do you need any help?”

 

“No, no. No worries. Um…” Alec scratched the back of his head nervously. “We don’t have any spare brushes. Not that you need it, no. Your breath doesn’t smell.” He winced internally at his own words, but Magnus only laughed.

 

“Thank you.” He said, and patted Alec on his way to the bathroom.

 

Not long after both Ben and Magnus were seated by the kitchen table, two plates of chocolate pancakes and raspberry jam in front of them. The little boy dug in without preamble, but Magnus frowned. “You won’t be joining us?” He asked Alec.

 

“I still need to get ready. I’ll just eat something at work.” A chocolate bar from a vending machine wasn’t Alec’s ideal breakfast, but he’d have to do. His alarm didn’t go off, so he didn’t have time to stand by the stove much longer. 

 

“Nonsense. The office food is disgusting.” Magnus stood up with his own plate, and took Alec’s place by the counter. He swatted Alec’s hand as it reached for the bowl with leftover pancake butter. “You go and I’ll make you some. There will still be plenty of time to eat it.” Magnus raised one eyebrow in a silent challenge. Alec just stared right back at him.

 

Their silent staring competition was broken by Ben. “Hurry up! Will promised to show me his new stickers.”

 

“Thank you.” Alec said to Magnus, then run to the bathroom.

 

“And what new stickers does he have? The dinosaur ones? Ones with dogs?” Magnus asked as he bit into one of his pancakes, then started to heat the pan. “My bad.” He covered his mouth with one hand. “Never speak with your mouth full.”

 

Ben giggled. “Can I get some ketchup?” he asked, innocently.

 

Twenty minutes later, all were fed and dressed, and the three of them were making their way through the park to Ben’s elementary school. Magnus hadn’t been planning on going straight to work - he had wanted to drop by his apartment first, to change his clothes and put on some makeup. But once they had been out of the apartment Ben had reached for his hand, and Magnus had decided to walk with them. 

 

Ben’s other hand was grasped tightly in Alec’s. They were walking fast, since Ben’s lessons would start in less than 15 minutes, and the boy was very amused by the idea of being late. His eyes were constantly shifting from his dad to Magnus, and Alec kept scolding him. “Look where you’re going, or you will trip.”

 

“Up!” Ben suddenly shouted, and raised his arms. The two men looked at each other - Magnus with amusement, and Alec with fond exasperation - then began to loudly count to three.

 

“Yeah!” The boy shouted as they lifted him up. “Again, again!” He demanded. Magnus and Alec obeyed.

 

Alec could feel all the curious glances from the teachers and other parents, as the three of them reached the school. He tensed visibly, his eyes darting between all the adults gathered inside, looking for a disapproving scowl. Most of the parents had no idea that he was gay. And here he was, bringing his son to school, with a strange man who was currently picking Ben up, and letting the boy plant a big kiss on is cheek - something he had never done to Alec, because he claimed he was a ‘big boy’.

 

By some miracle, no one was looking at them with disgust. A few mothers cooed at the adorable exchange, and one even sent Alec a wink. 

 

“Are you in the lgbt parents association?” Alec didn’t even know when Magnus had sneaked behind him.

 

“What?” He turned around to face the other man, confused by the question.

 

“That woman over there - don’t look, it’s rude!” Alec obediently kept his eyes on Magnus. “The one who winked at you. It’s Laurel. She and her wife Sam have two kids in this school, and are the presidents of the lgbt parents association.” At Alec’s questioning look, he added. “They come by every now and then, to buy bread. And their oldest kid - Anne - is the teenager who comes in for coffee with her boyfriend every Saturday. I’m sure you have seen her - you visit around the same time.”

 

“Ohhhh.” Alec replied, then risked a glance at the woman. “I wasn’t aware that the school had such a club.”

 

“You should totally join. Laurel is a sweetheart. And I got the recipe for the poppyseed cake from her.”

 

“ _ The _ poppyseed cake?” Magnus nodded with a smirk. “Where do I sign up?”

 

\---------------------

 

WEDNESDAY

 

From: Alec

 

**That bagel was really amazing. I’m so glad you convinced me to not go with sweets today.**

 

To: Alec

 

**The pleasure is all mine ;)**

 

From: Alec

 

**The turkey/cheddar/apple combo? Mouth-watering.**

 

To: Magnus

 

**Should I include bagels in your Monday meals from now on?**

 

From: Alec

 

**YASSS. *raised hands emoji***

**Please, just marry me. We can use plain bagels as our wedding rings.**

 

Magnus snorted loudly, and the old lady in the supermarket looked at him, scandalised. He pushed his cart somewhere else - he had been blocking the frozen food aisle for too long already. And he wasn’t even going to buy anything from there.

 

To: Alec

 

**More like wedding bracelets.**

 

\---------------------------------

 

THURSDAY

 

To: Alec

 

**Something went terribly wrong…**

***photo attached***

 

Magnus had no idea what had happened. One minute his meringue had been perfect, and the next it resembled a mole mound. And no, not the cake.

 

From: Alec

 

**Did you fail at making a brownie?**

 

To: Alec

 

**It was supposed to be a mango meringue -_-**

 

Magnus could see the three dots dancing on his screen. It took Alec a solid few minutes to finally send his reply.

 

From: Alec

 

**Just drench it in chocolate. Smokey flavour is in this season. But remind me not to buy a slice.**

 

\------------------

 

On Friday night Magnus got a call from Alec.

 

“Alexander?” He replied, still breathless from working out.

 

“Hi.” Came the tentative reply. Silence stretched for so long, that Magnus had to look at his phone to check if Alec hadn’t hung up. “Everything alright there?”

 

“Yes, yeah. Bad time for a call?”

 

“No. I actually just finished doing pushups. I’m all yours.” He still needed to stretch, otherwise his muscles would be sore tomorrow. But it could wait a few minutes.

 

“I just wanted to ask how was your day.” Magnus could imagine Alec sitting on the couch, watching Ben play. Or making dinner in the kitchen, carefully stirring veggie curry. And checking up on Magnus.

 

Magnus wasn’t stupid. He knew that Alec’s messages had been exactly that - checking on him after his meltdown on Monday night. But there wasn’t any pity in Alec’s texts, and Magnus appreciated that. He didn’t need pity. Instead, there was easy banter, and some innocent flirting. Enough to keep Magnus distracted from all the mess in his head.

 

Because, ever since their conversation, his brain was a total mess. All the bottled up feelings and thoughts had resurfaced, making Magnus confused and tired. A part of him wished he had never talked to Alec in the first place. That he still had his peace. But the other part of him was greatful. He had actually made plans to visit the cemeteries, once he would be back home, and bring flowers with him. Ragnor had always loved lilies.

 

“I got my hands on the most delicious cream cheese in the whole state. Guess what you’ll be eating on Monday.” Alec chuckled on the other end of the line, and Manus grinned widely in return. “I would give you a taste tomorrow, but the delivery is scheduled for Sunday.”

 

“About tomorrow.” Alec suddenly seemed nervous, and Magnus wondered why. Had something happened and he needed help with Ben?

 

Before Magnus could ask, Alec continued. “Me and Ben are going to the zoo. Would you like to join us? No pressure. We know you have a busy schedule…”

 

“It would be my pleasure.” Magnus cut short Alec’s rambling. He was grinning like an idiot, and he was sure Alec could tell, just by hearing him speak. “I haven’t seen any of the zoos yet. And I own a bakery in the Prospect Park!”

 

“We’re actually planning on going there. They have this event, on Saturday and Sunday. They will be shearing the sheep. There are supposed to be experts, to answer all the wool-related questions, and different activities around wool. Ben is so excited that I doubt he will sleep tonight.” Both men chuckled at that. “We’re going before lunch, but you can join us at any time? Just call me, and we’ll find you.”

 

“You will be elbow-deep in wool all day.” Neither of them knew if there would be anyone permanently supervising the kids during the activities. And Alec couldn’t just abandon Ben. “I’ll come with you in the morning. We could also visit the famous carousel?”

 

“The carousel is a great idea.” Magnus could hear Ben shout something in the background. “Oh no, talking about the carousel was a bad idea. Now Ben is using the couch as his personal trampoline. I think I need to put an end to this, before he falls down and breaks his arm. Or destroys the couch.”

 

“Goodnight, Alexander. See….”

 

“One more thing!” Alec cut in. “I’m bringing food. There is no arguing about that.” 

 

Magnus sighed with fondness and rolled his eyes, although Alec couldn’t see that. “Alright, Alright. Say ‘hi’ to Ben from me.”

 

“I will. Goodnight, Magnus.” Alec replied, then hung up.

 

Magnus just stared at his phone. He should put it down and stretch, but his mind still felt cluttered - the opposite of how it should be after a satisfying work out. He opened up his contacts, then dialed a number before he could talk himself out of it.

 

“Dot? Hi… I’m not okay.”

 

\-------------------------

 

“How does he still have energy?” Magnus whined, while clinging to Alec’s arm. Ben was running from one animal to the other, even after 4 hours spent in the park. “And I know for sure you didn’t feed him any sugar for lunch. I ate the same ham rolls and carrot sticks as he did. No sugar!”

 

Alec kept his mouth pressed tightly, but his shoulders were shaking from laughter.

 

“Don’t laugh at me!” Magnus swatted Alec’s arm playfully. “I just want to lay in the sun and take a nap, after our meal. How can he be any different?”

 

“I’m not laughing at you!” Magnus raised an eyebrow in reply. “Alright, I am - but only a little bit! He’s seven. Give him an hour or two, and he will be dead to the world. And then the adults can get some ice cream.” Magnus snickered at that. “I almost feel bad for Mandy’s parents. Almost.”

 

Magnus looked at him, puzzled.

 

“Oh, right. Ben’s class has discovered sleepovers. They are all  _ crazy _ about them. And Mandy’s parents decided to bite the bullet and host one next Friday. Well, at first they suggested Thursday, but someone made them realise there’s no way they are going to be able to drive 17 kids to school on Friday morning. Much less wake them up and get them ready.”

 

“So Friday is an off night? What are you going to do? Any parties you have been invited to?” Magnus winked.

 

“Actually.” Alec looked down, sheepish. “All my friends are busy, and other parents are exhausted. I just thought I may stay at home and watch a movie. Or go to sleep earlier.” 

 

“Come on! You’re still young. Go out, have some fun. Show me the city.”

 

Alec’s eyes shot up at that.

 

“I promise to get you back home before midnight, Cinderella.” Alec rolled his eyes. “Alright, you’ll be back by 10.30. P. M.” Magnus added with a glint in his eyes. “Some nice dinner, so you don’t have to cook. Then a drink. You deserve to have fun. And you will still get plenty of sleep. Pleaseeee?”

 

Alec tried to keep a straight face, but failed miserably. He had to admit that the prospect of going out with Magnus was tempting. He hadn’t hit the bars in a while. “Alright. I guess great food and a drink in a great company won’t hurt.”

 

“Allleeeccc!” Ben collided with his dad, and Alec held onto him so he wouldn’t fall backwards. 

 

“Easy there, fella. What is it?” Alec’s and Magnus arms were still linked. They both stood in the middle of the path and stared down at the boy. 

 

“Can I ride on your back? I want to see the red pandas better.” The question sounded very innocent, but both men saw right through it. Ben was already getting tired, but didn’t want to admit it, in case his dad would order them to go back home. “Pleeeeaaaase.” He pouted. Before Alec could answer, he turned his attention to Magnus. “Please, can I ride on your back?”

 

Magnus glanced at Alec to see if he agreed, and after the other man had nodded he replied. “Sure. I can’t see why not. Alec, could you help us?”

 

Alec hoisted Ben up and sat him down securely on Magnus shoulders. “Don’t tug on Magnus hair. And don’t cover his eyes.” Ben nodded vigorously, then pointed towards the red pandas. “Dragon! Set your course on that island! We have a new specie to research!”

 

“I thought I was a warlock.” Magnus teased, holding onto Ben tightly.

 

“A very powerful warlock. That can turn into a dragon.”

 

The rest of their conversation had been lost to Alec. He watched the two walk ahead of him, and just thought about how happy they looked. Wondered if Magnus was feeling better, even if just a little bit. If he had started to make peace with everything.

 

“You and your husband look lovely.” Alec turned around, towards the source of the voice. A man, who seemed to be in his 70’s, had caught up to him, He was smiling, the wrinkles and receding hairline making him look very warm and grandpa-like. “I’m so happy to see couples like you, out in the open. When me and my partner were young, we had to hide our love. But we had hope that one day, we would be able to walk freely, hand in hand. He would love to see you visit the zoo with your husband and son. Mingling with other young couples.” The man stared after Magnus and Ben. His eyes were full of fodness, but there was also something sad in them. As if he was looking at a long lost dream.

 

Alec didn’t have it in him to correct him.

 

“Thank you. I can’t tell you how happy I am that we can be here.”

 

And if he looked at Magnus in that moment, and wondered, if he could ever have someone like him to love - no one had to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me on [tumblr](http://lewispanda.tumblr.com)
> 
> And - as promised - a link to the [fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15670134/chapters/36402264) written for the SH Hiatus Bang by my beta! I reccomend to give it a try - her writing is amazing ;)


	10. 25th of May

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eye roll count: 4

“You kept it a secret, that we’re going to a cozy Italian restaurant? Why, why, Alexander? I feel so underdressed right now.” Magnus teased his companion, looking at him over the menu, with a smirk.

 

“Shuddup.” Alec hissed, so no  one else would hear him. “Everyone loves Italian food. It was a safe choice. Besides, I  _ know _ that you love spaghetti and meatballs.” It was Alec’s turn to smirk. “You have practically inhaled them on Tuesday. Even got sauce all over your shirt.” Hazel eyes traveled down to the shirt Magnus was currently wearing. It was navy, with a delicate white pattern, that looked suspiciously like dachshunds.

 

“I did no such thing. Do you have pictures to prove it.?” Magnus raised an eyebrow in a challenge. He, in fact, knew that Alec had no pictures of that night - he had been too busy looking for a spare shirt for Magnus, in case the stain wouldn’t get out.

 

Their bickering was interrupted by a waiter.

 

“Would you like to order, gentlemen?” The target guests of the restaurant were families with children, but the waiter still wore a pristine white shirt and black slacks. Magnus’ eyes traveled between him and Alec, who had decided on a similar outfit that night, but before he could comment on it in any way, Alec spoke.

 

“I’ll have risotto with lemon and green beans. And sparkling water.” Magnus pouted at the lack of alcohol, and Alec rolled his eyes.

 

“I’ll have whatever fish the chef recommends, with a glass of wine.” They handed back their menus to the waiter.

 

They both sat on the opposite sides of the way-too-big table, slightly overdressed for the place. Adults were talking, and children were laughing, but they still somehow felt as if they were in their own private bubble.

 

“How have you been?” Alec asked, once the waiter disappeared.

 

“We see each other almost every day. Not a lot has changed.” Magnus replied. “And you have already asked me that question. Via text. First thing in the morning.” Alec blushed, and fidgeted with the napkin, but Magnus caught his hand. “No, it’s fine. I didn’t want it to sound rude.”

 

“It didn’t. I really don’t want to be that overprotective, annoying mother hen. Sorry for that.” Magnus was still holding onto Alec’s hand, and the other man had no intention of pulling it free anytime soon.

 

Ever since the night when Magnus had told Alec about Raphael’s and Ragnor’s deaths, they had become more physically affectionate. They hugged when they saw one another - and when the bakery’s counter wasn’t blocking the way. They sat on the couch with their sides pressed, watching Ben play with his legos, or arguing over the best Disney villain. Magnus liked to hook his arm through Alec’s when they were walking together, or rest his head against Alec’s shoulder, and Alec always leaned in closer. The easy intimacy between them was freeing and comforting. They could both act on the want to have someone close, without being judged for it - just as it should be. 

 

Alec was really glad he had found someone like Magnus.

 

“You are not. I mean, it  _ is _ slightly annoying sometimes, but it’s nice to know that someone is there for me, if needed.” Magnus had told Alec more about Catarina and Dorothea, so the other man was aware that he had very supportive friends. “If I ever want to talk, I promise to tell you, alright?” 

 

He didn’t know if he could make good on his promise - he had been keeping all the negative emotions hidden for so long, that he was afraid he no longer knew how not to pretend that he was okay. But telling Alec had felt good. And telling Cat and Dot also felt good. It had been awkward and had opened a few wounds in his heart, but after, he had felt as if they maybe had begun to heal. He was aware that his recovery might be a long process, that it would feel both better and worse than stifling his feelings. But he had decided to cling to that ‘better’ part, and do it properly. See how it might go.

 

“Alright.” Alec brushed his thumb against Magnus skin, and they both shared a fond smile.

 

Their drinks arrived, and they changed the topic of their conversation.

 

“Was Ben excited about the sleepover?” Magnus asked, but he already knew the answer. The little boy had talked about it non-stop, every time they had seen each other. Magnus had learned the name of the girl that was throwing the party - Mandy, just like the character from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. He also knew the name of Ben’s best friend (Will), the boy who would be bringing video games (Jade), the girl who couldn’t come (Charlie), as well as the names of 70% of Ben’s classmates. 

 

“He almost forgot his toothbrush. Not that not having it would be a big problem for him.” Alec rolled his eyes again. Magnus had learned that it was a signature Lightwood move, that both Alec and Ben did often. He even caught himself a few times rolling his eyes in exasperation - something he had never done before, and thought only tacky movie characters did. “We don’t own a sleeping bag, but Sean and Claire both assured me, that he could sleep on the couch. I know that he will try to crawl into Will’s bag, though. I heard them talk about it.” Alec took a sip of his water, then continued. “It won’t fit them, I’m sure of it. So I ‘suggested’ - would something like that ever happen - they sleep on the bag, and cover themselves with a blanket. I hope they will remember it.” Alec frowned, and his free hand subconsciously traveled to his phone. 

 

“It will be alright. Mandy’s parents will make sure they are comfortable and warm.” Magnus squeezed Alec’s hand, and his features softened. 

 

“We packed extra pair of pyjamas, in case he spills something on himself. And his whale...I’m rambling, am I not?” Alec looked down at the table, embarrassed. 

 

“No, you’re not. I asked a question, and you answered.” Magnus reassured him. “You talking about Ben is actually quite adorable. I have no idea how you are still single.” Magnus winked and Alec rolled his eyes again. “Watch out, love. Or else your eyes will fall out of your sockets.”

 

“I don’t think you used that figure of speech properly.”

 

In that moment, the waiter arrived with their food, and they had to untangle their hands to eat.

 

“Janine actually asked me if Ben would like to have a small sleepover with Will.” Alec continued. Magnus had got used to Alec dropping random names, as if Magnus already knew the people. This time he thankfully didn’t have to ask for clarification, already familiar with Will.

 

“Did you say yes?” He asked, before taking the first bite of his dinner. 

 

“Yes. Ben would never forgive me if I said no. The boys will sleep at her place on Monday, and then at mine on Thursday. Or Friday. Maybe I should suggest Friday, so her and George can have a Friday night to themselves? They could sleep in on Saturday.” Alec mused.

 

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Magnus smiled at Alec warmly. “You should try this fish. It’s delicious.”

 

\-------------------

 

“I still can’t believe you don’t like fish! How can anyone not like fish?” Magnus stated, for the umpteenth time that evening. Him hanging off Alec’s arm was slowing them both down, but neither minded. He wasn’t drunk - wasn’t even tipsy - but there was something amusing about clinging to Alec and looking up to stare into his eyes.

 

“Oh, just leave it.” Alec tried to sound annoyed, but the big smile on his face ruined it.

 

“Wait!” Magnus stopped abruptly, and the iron grip he had on Alec’s arm forced the other to stop as well. Magnus eyes were shining as he stared at something over Alec’s shoulder, and Alec turned around to see what caught Magnus attention.

 

“What?” He had expected to see something unexpected, or marvelous - not some random bar. It looked just any other bar that they had passed, with its flashy neon sign, and stickers glued to the front door. “Why did we stop?”

 

Magnus just wordless pointed to the chalkboard sign that stood at the front.

 

“No. Nope. Never.” Alec began to walk again, but Magnus was strong enough to hold him in place.

 

“Pleeeaaase, Alexander. Please.” Alec could lie and say that the puppy dog eyes did nothing for him, but he knew his resolve was already crumbling. Magnus had that something in him - a charm that Alec was unable to resist. All he could do was surrender, and humbly welcome whatever Magnus would give him. 

 

“Karaoke night? No way.” The least he could do was to pretend that he wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Show some dignity before he would ultimately embarrass himself.

 

“It’s almost 10 pm. I can tell you, half of the patrons are already drunk, and the other half is on their way there. They won’t even remember us tomorrow.” Magnus started to pull Alec towards the entrance. The other said nothing, but let himself be led in that direction. 

 

With a triumphant grin Magnus made his way to the bartender. “Beer. And…” He turned around to eye Alec up and down. “Melon ball.” He finished while still looking at Alec. 

 

The bartender nodded as Magnus handed him the bills. “My treat.” He told Alec before the other could take out his wallet. 

 

“Is there an open karaoke spot for tonight?” Magnus asked the bartender, as the man handed them their drinks. Alec reached for the beer, but Magnus swatted his hand. “Nope. The cocktail is for you. It’s light and sweet - you will love it. I was tempted to order you a hurricane, but that might not go well.” He winked, then took a sip of his beer. Alec just eyed the two colorful fruit balls on the toothpick.

 

“I can add you to the list. But you will be singing a random song. It’s a rule for first-timers.” The man warned them, but Magnus just grinned widely.

 

“We’re in.”

 

Alec didn’t even manage to finish his drink - that was very fruity and delicious - before their names were being called. He hesitated before standing up from his stool, but Magnus turned towards him and looked at him with so much joy, hope and nervousness, that Alec knew he couldn’t back away from this.

 

They were handed two mics, before the words appeared on the screen hanging over the bar. “At least something I know.” Alec commented as he read ‘Lionel Richie - Hello’, and Magnus reached for his hand to squeeze it briefly in encouragement. Alec clutched his mic in both hands, nervous, while Magnus swayed from side to side as the first notes of the song filled the bar.

 

Magnus sung the first line, but Alec just stood there, frozen. The other man turned to him, and looked at him warmly, a silent question in his eyes. If Alec wanted an out, Magnus would grant it, without asking or judging. 

 

Alec just shook his head, then joined the singing.

 

He wasn’t a terrible singer, but he wasn’t that good either. Magnus was reminded of the flat way he had sung to Ben all those weeks ago, and he couldn’t help but smile wider. The slow song was a sharp contrast to whatever was playing just seconds ago, but the patrons seemed to enjoy it. Magnus could see the tension leave Alec’s body, as one couple stood up and began to slow-dance to the song, but he himself didn’t notice them, as his eyes were glued to the man next to him.  

 

Alec’s eyes met his again, just as the line  _ tell me how to win your heart _ was playing, and Magnus messed up the next few words. Alec was finally having fun, moving his body to the rhythm of the music, his smile warm and welcoming. The bar was warm, but Magnus swore that he still could feel the heat of Alec’s body next to his. The other man reached for his hand, and laced their fingers together, as the last notes filled the air, and a few people clapped enthusiastically.

 

And for the first time Magnus wondered, what it would be like to have Alec by his side forever.

 

\------------------------

 

“Don’t you dare laugh.” Alec emerged from the bathroom, wearing one of Magnus shirts, and the other man clasped his hands in delight. It was slightly short on Alec, but no skin was showing above the waistline. At the same time, the shirt didn’t cling to his arms the way it did to Magnus’s, but Magnus had to admit that Alec’s body still filled it nicely.

 

“I’m not laughing. It was my idea, after all.” It was indeed Magnus idea for Alec to change into something that wasn’t a white, easily stained, shirt. After finishing their drinks at the bar, they had decided to go to Magnus place and do face masks. The last bit might have been Magnus’ idea. “It does look good on you.”

 

“Thanks.” Alec replied, then joined Magnus by the counter. When he had entered the kitchen for the first time, he had commented that it wasn’t ‘that big’, to which Magnus only glared at him. The kitchen in his LA apartment was thrice as big, but he had to make do with that rental. Only one more month and then he and his wooden countertops would be reunited. “I thought you only baked in here.” Alec said, as he saw Magnus cut two tea bags open, and scooped the still-hot leafs with a spoon.

 

“Nope. I am a big fan of DIY cosmetics, and this face mask is” Magnus glanced over his shoulder at Alec, and made a face to show just how amazing the mask was. The other man snorted.

 

“And what is so great about it?” Alec asked, as he eyed the green-ish goo warily.

 

“It’s simple to make. Only two ingredients - green tea and yoghurt.” Magnus began to explain, as he mixed everything together in a small bowl. “It does wonders to your skin. Do you know Tan France?” Alec shook his head, and Magnus frowned. “Oh hun, we are sooo watching Queer Eye tonight. And…” He opened the cupboard above his head and took out cereal, then poured them into two bowls. “...you can always eat the rest of the yoghurt.”

 

Alec rolled his eyes with fondness, but reached for one of the bowls and a spoon.

 

“We should do it again. On Monday.” Magnus said. “I will pick the restaurant, this time.”

 

“And you promise to bring me back home by 10.30?” Alec said with a raised eyebrow, while dumping the whole cup of yoghurt over his cereal. Magnus remembered well his promise from the zoo, but only waved his hand in the air.

 

“It’s not as if you changed back to a pumpkin after Midnight, Cinderella. You still look good.” He motioned for Alec to grab the second bowl, and move the party to the living room. His eyes squinted, as he realised that Alec had used all the yoghurt, but the other man just offered him a spoonful of food from his own bowl.

 

“Alright. You got yourself a date, Prince Charming.” Alec commented, and Magnus hummed in agreement, staring after his retreating form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to my beta [enkelimagnus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enkelimagnus/works)
> 
> Come talk to me on [tumblr](http://lewispanda.tumblr.com)


	11. 26th of May

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We were all expecting the 2nd date. Magnus had other plans.
> 
> This chapter is shorter than the rest, but I thought it would make more sense that way. This week we get Magnus' insight, and next - the date.

Come to think of it, there was no logical explanation as to why Magnus was sitting on Alec’s couch right now. Calling it ‘sitting’ might be a misunderstanding, though. His body was bent at a weird angle - he was leaning to the left, with his arm thrown around the back of the couch, and his head resting on his shoulder. He couldn’t feel his left hand, that was pinned to the cushion by Alec’s head. Two short legs were draped over his thighs, and Ben’s upper body was leaning against Alec’s side. Or chest. Really, Magnus couldn’t tell. They were a mess of limbs.

His brain still felt foggy, as he recalled the events from the past 12 hours.

 

He and Alec had finished watching Queer Eye around 3 am. Magnus had offered his companion to sleep on the couch, but Alec had declined, stating that there was nothing better than one’s own bed. He had also said no to Magnus’ suggestion of walking him back. ‘I know how to get to my flat.’ he had replied with a smirk, but it had been ruined by a yawn. 

 

Magnus remembered apologising for keeping him up so late - Alec had had to pick Ben up around 9 - but Alec had told him, that he  regretted nothing. So Magnus had ordered him an uber, and watched him walk down the stairs, before going to bed himself.

 

He hadn’t slept for long. Around 7 am, his inner clock had woken him up, and hadn’t allowed him to go back to sleep. With a groan, Magnus had texted Alec to complain about ‘stupid brains’, and had been surprised when he had received the answer immediately

 

One thing had led to another, and Magnus had found himself walking briskly to Alec’s apartment hours later, carrying a loaf of bread that Alec had forgotten to buy. Ben had greeted him at the door, by jumping into his arms, and attacking him with a lot more energy than he should have after the sleepover. All three of them had eaten breakfast, then decided to watch Lion King. Magnus remembered falling asleep around Scar’s song.

 

But even knowing all those things gave him no explanation as to why he was  _ there _ . In Alec’s flat. After spending so many hours with him, and then parting for the night. Yet, he came back, after less than 4 hours of sleep, to eat breakfast and nap together. Napping hadn’t been in the plans, but they had never made  _ any _ plans. It had been just a quick exchange of ‘Wanna come over?’ ‘Yes’. There was no purpose.

 

But it felt right. It just felt right. Even with his arm and back hurting, Magnus felt happy. A part of him wanted to get up to stretch his muscles, but it would disturb Ben’s rest. And Alec’s. So he had decided to stay still, just for a moment longer, to watch his two favourite men sleep peacefully.

 

And just like the night before, he let himself imagine, what it would be like to stay in NYC. Or for Ben and Alec to move to LA. There were great schools in LA, and Magnus was sure, that Alec would find himself a job in no time. He would show them all his favourite places, show them where he had grown up. They could meet a couple times per week, cook something at his apartment - his kitchen was indeed huge - then spend nights sitting on his favourite green couch and watching movies. They could just stay...together. And maybe, just maybe, with time, they could build something together. Something more permanent.

 

Those thoughts were quickly tainted with guilt. Who was he kidding? Alec and Ben had a life here, they had their friends and family close. And Magnus had his life and family in LA. 

 

Subconsciously, he pulled his arm free, which woke Alec up.

 

“Hey.” Alec said, as he rubbed his eyes and shifted on the couch.

 

“Hello.” Magnus averted his gaze. He somehow felt as if he was betraying Alec, by feeling what he was feeling. 

 

“I’ll move this little bug to bed. The party must have worn him out.” Alec lowered Ben’s body to the cushions gently, then stood up to pick him up. “Now his sleeping schedule will be messed up. I need to take him out somewhere after lunch to tire him again. And hopefully not fall asleep myself.” Magnus was still avoiding his eyes, and Alec took it as a sign of him still feeling bad about making Alec stay up till almost 4 am. “Hey. I’m just teasing. I’m not sleepy at all. And I enjoyed last night greatly. Can’t wait to do it again on Monday.”

 

“Me neither.” Magnus replied, then stood up himself. Alec was holding Ben, as if he weighed nothing. “Get him to bed. I should probably get going - make something for lunch and all.”

 

Alec looked as if he wanted to say something, but at the last second decided not to. “Let me know if your plans for Monday change. Oh, and, ugh, what time is it?” 

 

Magnus took out his phone to check the time. He had changed his lockscreen to the pic he had taken yesterday at the bar. Alec’s hair had been a mess, and the top two buttons of his short had been undone. He had been sipping on his fruity drink through a straw, making faces like a cute, happy animal, and Magnus couldn’t help himself. And now one of the pics greeted him every time he wanted to do something on his phone.

 

“1.16 pm. I really should get going.” 

 

“Alright. See you soon.” Alec said, then left Magnus standing in the hallway.

 

\---------------------

 

“And I don’t know what to do, Dot.” Talking with her about this felt weird. But good-weird. It felt like being back in college, moaning to her about a boy he liked, while she braided his hair. Except they were long past their college years, and she was miles away. It was awkward to spill his guts like that, but having another opinion on the matter could be helpful. Past experiences had taught Magnus that people’s insight on their own love life could have little to do with how the situation looked in reality.

 

“Don’t feel guilty about it. Honestly, falling for him isn’t your fault.” Her voice was calm and comforting, and Magnus couldn’t help but feel marginally better already.

 

“No one is falling for anyone. I clearly remember explicitly saying ‘crush’. I may have a  _ crush _ on him, Dotty. Less serious, more annoying.” It might be more annoying, but out of those two, it was still a better option. Unrequited crushes were irritating, but unreciprocated love? It was soul-crushing, and Magnus wasn’t ready for that. Especially not so soon after losing two people he had loved so dearly.

 

“My point still stands. From how you describe him, they guy seems like a walking dream. He is clearly your type, handsome af, funny, hard-working, caring, his kid is so perfect I find it hard to believe he is real...Magnus, you never stood a chance.”

 

She could hear him sigh heavily on the other end.

 

“I may have exaggerated with a few things. But they still…” He was clearly lost for words. Dot waited patiently for him to finish, while Magnus paced around his apartment nervously. His route started by the kitchen window, and ended in his bedroom. He occasionally sidetracked into the bathroom, where he could look at his expression in the mirror. “I can’t meet with him on Monday.”

 

“Why not?” His friend was genuinely confused. “It’s not as if you are doing anything wrong here.” She said, and put down her notepad. Doing inventory would clearly have to wait.

 

“Am I not?” Magnus had started to play with one of his rings. “He thinks we are friends, and here I am, crushing on him. It will be weird, once he finds out. Heck, even if he doesn’t, it’s still weird. It feels like lying.”

 

“How do you know? Maybe he feels the same way, buy is too afraid to say anything. And if he’s even half as angelic as you paint him to be, he would never let things get awkward. He sounds like a great friend.” Dot tried to talk some sense into Magnus.

 

“Well, he never showed he feels the same way.” Magnus muttered, irritated.

 

“Did you?”

 

The silence fell between them, as Magnus thought about his next reply.

 

“I didn’t…” he started, and Dot cut in with “See?”

 

“I didn’t.” Magnus continued. “because I didn’t know until last night. I had no idea. There were no ‘butterflies in my stomach’, or ‘oh no, he’s hot!’ moments.” Dot chuckled at his Squidward impression. “But then came the whole ‘not date’, and us falling asleep on the couch… and I have realised that my feelings for them, for  _ him _ , haven’t changed, but that I have been labeling them wrong.” He finally sat down on the armchair. “What do I do, Dorothea?”

 

“Talk to him about it.” She could sense he was about to protest, but she continued. “Honest, open communication is the key. I haven’t seen you so keyed-up about anyone in ages, and I doubt your crush will disappear once you fly back here. You will keep in touch - which is great! - and you will be pinning after him from afar, until it gets too weird or eats you alive.” Dot was met with silence on the other end. “At least go out with him on Monday, and see if he might be interested. Do something that could be considered more romantic, but not ‘too romantic’ “ ‘Easier said than done’ could be heard from Magnus. “Taste the waters. Just don’t get stuck in the place you’re in now.”

 

More silence followed. Dot almost started to believe that Magnus had disconnected without saying goodbye, but he eventually spoke again.

 

“It’s not...it’s not love.” He started. “But it’s something. It’s a possibility. It’s something that maybe, maybe, I could have. It’s not a ‘perfect husband, perfect kid.” Dot didn’t comment on him using the word ‘husband’. “It’s a possibility to try and build something. Work together, through good and through bad. I’m a mess, after Ragnor and Raphael.” Even admitting that felt like a huge deal. “Alec can sometimes be a lot, with his mother-hen tendencies. And Ben - he’s Ben. He is wonderful, but he is a kid. He sometimes throws fits, and gets cranky. And Alec is worried that he escapes into his imagination too much.” They had talked about it recently. They both believed that Ben’s imagination was wonderful, but Alec had his worries. He planned on talking with someone about them - someone who might know the answers. “It’s not a fairy tale. It’s reality. We’re not perfect. But I still want to have them in my life. And, for some reason, they want me in theirs.”

 

“Magnus.” Dot wished she could be with him right now, to hug him tightly. “You deserve to be happy. Give yourself a chance. It may work out, it may not. But it’s worth trying.”

 

“Thank you.” He replied, sincerely. “Now tell me more about your week.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'd like to thank all the people that left comments. And those, who left kudos. You keep me going. So, thank you. A lot.
> 
> Huge thanks to my beta [enkelimagnus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enkelimagnus/works) , that always picks up my sorry ass xD And who is an amazing writer.
> 
> You can come and talk to me on [tumblr](http://lewispanda.tumblr.com) . You can request a one-shot (even for this verse), or we can just talk about anything and everything.


	12. 28th of May

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's good to go back to this fic. My vacation has given me some new ideas for it :D But sorry to keep you waiting extra 2 days.  
> Finally, here comes the 'date'!

“No need to be nervous.” Alec told his reflection, as he tried to do a simple Windsor knot, he had done countless times before. But his hands felt really clumsy that day. He had spent what felt like forever, standing in front of the mirror and trying to tie his tie, in preparation for dinner with Magnus. Maryse had bought it recently, because she claimed a delicate floral pattern would work good with his light gray suit and a white shirt. And she was right, he had to admit, as he stared into the mirror. 

 

By that point, his hair was somewhere between a total mess and effortlessly styled to look as if he ‘just woke up like this’. Every time he had tried to tame it more, it had looked even worse, so he had given up, and tried hard to remember not to run his hands through it again. Doing that was very cliche, but he liked the feeling of someone touching it, or massaging his scalp. His mom used to do that when he was a child and couldn’t fall asleep. It brought him familiar comfort and peace of mind. And he needed those that day.

 

If only he could tie that knot.

 

Magnus had told him to dress more fancy, but _not_ _too fancy_. Just like Alec, he had decided to keep the restaurant a secret, so Alec had no idea what to expect. Being at the receiving end of that treatment showed Alec that it was no fun, as he had begun to debate again whether or not he should just ditch the tie. ‘Not too fancy’ - what did it even mean, for Frank’s sake? 

 

Theoretically, Alec could talk up his nervousness to the fact that the element of surprise was making him anxious. Everyone liked to know where they were going, or how they should dress for the occasion, right? But it wasn’t that. He had been thinking about dinner with Magnus all weekend, ever since the other had suggested it on Friday. And that was the source of his anxiety.

 

He had been checking his phone constantly for any messages from Magnus all weekend, to the point where Ben had started to notice and ask questions. The little boy had tried to steal his phone several times, to see who he had been talking to, but Alec somehow felt the need to hide his texts from Ben, even though there wasn’t anything inappropriate in them. And Ben liked Magnus - they had spent a lot of time together - so there was even less reason against telling Ben who he had been texting.

 

And, as if having to constantly guard his phone from Ben wasn’t bad enough, the little fellow had spilled the beans to his aunt, and Alec had received a call from his sister on Sunday night. She had teased him about the mysterious man, but he had been determined to not tell her anything, and she had eventually hung up. Telling her would make it seem like an ever bigger deal than it had been, and it would only be a friendly dinner. With his friend. Who was also friends with his kid.

 

A doorbell distracted him from his thoughts.

 

“Coming!” Alec said, while walking out of the bathroom and clutching his tie, so it wouldn’t slip off his neck. He opened the front door, and was about to greet his guest, when he saw Magnus covering his mouth with his hand.

 

“What?” Alec asked, confused, while looking at Magnus’ amused expression. “What is it? Am I dirty?” He looked down to find any eventual stains or wrinkles, but there were none. “Magnus, tell me what is going on?” Maybe he had a tiny hole in his shirt, that he couldn’t see? He had that shirt for years, and things like that happened to clothes with time.

 

The other man just shook his head, and lowered his hand. “What did that tie do to you?” Magnus swatted Alec’s hands, and began to tie the knot himself. Hazel eyes were studying his face closely, trying to pry the reason behind his earlier behaviour out of him, and neither men realised that Magnus was taking his sweet time with the knot.

 

Eventually, Magnus’ resolve crumbled. “Your tie. It’s your tie. This is the same fabric as my pocket square.” Alec’s eyes fell to the aforementioned piece of cloth, and indeed, the pattern looked oddly familiar. “We look as if we shared one set.” Magnus continued, although much more quiet.

 

“That we do.” Alec smiled softly, as Magnus smoothed down the lapels of his suit, before taking a step back.

 

“Our Uber driver is waiting downstairs.” Magnus pointed out. They had agreed to meet right before 6 pm, to grab an early dinner, since Alec was used to eating it early. He had little time to get ready between coming back from work and going out with Magnus, so Josie had offered to take Ben to Will’s place.

 

“Let me just get my keys.” said Alec, while putting on his elegant shoes. He glanced at Magnus’ feet to see what the man was wearing, and try to guess what kind of place they were going to. “Still not telling me our destination?”

 

“So impatient. Soon you will know.” Magnus replied. Alec didn’t have to look at his face, to know that the man was smiling. “Maybe even the address will give it away. I must admit, I haven’t been to that place yet. But I heard splendid reviews.”

 

“Maybe I have.” Alec said, standing up and reaching for his keys and wallet. “If you tell me now, we can still go somewhere else.”

 

“Sneaky, but no.” Magnus opened the door. “Do you have your phone? In case Will’s mom calls.”

 

“Of course.” Magnus’ concern warmed Alec’s heart. He knew that Ben could charm anyone, but seeing Magnus care about the boy… Alec was unable to describe the feelings that it awakened. 

 

“Hurry, or we’re going to be late! There are no official reservations but I asked someone from the staff really nicely to keep one table for us, around 6.30. And I don’t want them to get into troubles, so hurry up!”

 

“Why am I not surprised you managed to sweet-talk someone into saving us a table anyway.” Alec raised one eyebrow with fondness, and closed the door behind them.

\------------------------------------

 

Glass doors and huge windows framed in black, greeted Alec from the sidewalk. Neither the address nor the sight told him anything about the place. Through the windows he could see a few small tables, and a wall full of glasses and wine bottles behind the counter. Was it just a bar? Alec doubted, since Magnus had promised him dinner. But it didn’t look like a restaurant either. He really hoped they served food, because he was hungry.

 

“I can see you thinking hard. I was promised a remarkable experience, and I hope neither of us will be disappointed.” Magnus reached for Alec’s hand, and led him inside. “Excuse me.” He asked the person behind the counter. “Is Linda here?”

 

“Sure, I will tell her you’re here.” The person replied.

 

Magnus and Alec didn’t have to wait long, before a short woman approached them. “Great timing. A few people had eyed that table, and I had to tell someone that it was already occupied. Please, follow me.” She said.

 

“I’m terribly sorry. Someone was taking extra long to get ready.” Magnus winked at Alec. “But the end result is marvelous.”

 

Linda giggled, and Alec could feel himself blush. Magnus’ hand was still firmly clasped in his, but neither of them seemed to mind one bit - they were open with physical affection. But, somehow, that time it felt different. More meaningful.  _ Stop making it weird _ , Alec thought to himself, but didn’t let go of Magnus’ hand.

 

“This is your table.” Linda gestured towards the only unoccupied one, then left the menus on it. “I will come shortly to collect your order.”

 

“Thank you.” Both Magnus and Alec had replied, before she left them. 

 

Without even thinking about it, Alec pulled out a chair for Magnus. The cozy atmosphere, the soft chatter around them, and the flickering candle on the table - how could he not offer him a chair?

 

A look of surprise flashed through Magnus’ face, but it was quickly replaced with a grateful smile. ”Thank you.” He said, without a witty remark, and sat on the chair. Alec unbuttoned his jacket, before joining him at the table.

 

Alec reached for the menu, and frowned at the unfamiliar name of the restaurant. “French?” He asked.

 

“Yes. Mostly known for breakfast and lunches. I thought we might try something different.” Magnus glanced at him over his own menu, mischievously. “What is it? Never wanted to have waffles and eggs for dinner? Alexander Lightwood, are you…” Magnus made a dramatic pause. “boring?”

 

Alec had to press his lips together, to keep himself from chuckling. “I am anything but. Waffles for dinner? Bring them on.” He raised one eyebrow in a silent challenge. To be honest, at that point, he would eat almost anything - his stomach had been in knots for the whole day, so he had skipped lunch. And had been only reminded about how hungry he had been, when they had entered the restaurant.

 

“I actually thought we might order a few things, and share? That way we can try more dishes.” Magnus suggested, then added. “And both look like fools for eating waffles and duck cassoulet together.”

 

“So this is what it’s all about.” Alec looked at his menu again. Although, the ingredients were listen in English, the dish categories were in French, and he had hard time deciphering what some of them were. “I hope you at least know what all those words mean.”

 

“I came prepared.” Magnus closed his own menu. “Want any help? My French is rusty, but I did google the dishes before coming here.” Alec put his menu down, and Magnus leaned forward. 

 

“Yes. Um, I don’t even know how to pronounce it.” Alec pointed out to something on the menu, embarrassed.

 

“Most of the people sitting here don’t. So no worries.” Magnus looked down, where Alec was pointing to a French word. “ Légumes. Vegetables. Just a food category, not a hidden name for some weird dish.” Magnus pointed to a word few rows down. “What do you say to some Coq au Vin and Cassoulet?” Alec read the descriptions - chicken stewed in red wine & mushrooms, and the pot of slow cook duck, pork & flageolet beans. They looked like proper dinner dishes.

 

“What happened to wanting waffles?” Alec teased.

 

“This place is opened till 2 am. We will have plenty of time for waffles.” Magnus replied.

 

\------------------------------------

 

“I want to take you somewhere.” Alec said, as soon as they left the restaurant. They had had to skip the waffles - promising each other that they would come back and order them one day - but they were still pleasantly full, filled with dinner, wine and good coffee. And high on good company.

 

Magnus laced their fingers with a small smile. “Lead the way.”

 

Alec led them to the nearest metro station, and they got into the line J, then switched to line A. They didn’t speak a word as they traveled, but there was something comforting and intimate about the silence. 

 

Once out of the station, Magnus still didn’t feel the need to ask. No matter where they were going, he loved Alec’s company, and wanted to spend as much time as possible with him, before he would have to go back to LA. Their hands we still clasped firmly together, and Magnus was holding onto Alec’s arm with his other hand, to pull the other even closer.

 

“I’m afraid we won’t be able to see all of it, because they are closing in 50 minutes.” Alec had never been as grateful for having dinner early, as he had been in that moment. It had made it possible for them to still be able to come here, even if only for a moment.

 

He led them up the stairs. “Here it is. The famous High Line.” The sky was turning dark, but the last, pink rays of Sun could still be seen above the horizon. The artificial lights had been turned on, so the path and the plants were beautifully lit. The whole place looked magical. 

 

“It’s beautiful.” Magnus couldn’t tear his eyes away from the view. They still hadn’t moved even an inch from their spot near the stairs, but Alec felt no need to move. He could just watch Magnus forever, as the other took in their surroundings.

 

Alec regretted not taking the time to look, back at the Bouvette, where he could have studied Magnus’ in the flickering light of the candles. His features would probably be softer, smoother. He would see all the mirth in his eyes, and the delicate wrinkles. But he didn’t need those things, to have his breath taken away. Magnus had that soft, private smile, that turned Alec’s legs into jelly. He was wearing a shirt with a floral pattern under his navy blazer, and everything fit his body perfectly, as if the clothes had been tailored. The pocket square was crooked a little bit, and it made Alec smile wider - a little imperfection only made Magnus even more beautiful.

 

“Why are you smiling like that?” Alec hadn’t realised when the brown eyes turned their attention to him. 

 

“Nothing. Just...nothing.” Magnus studied him for a moment longer, before pulling him towards the path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to my beta [enkelimagnus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enkelimagnus/works) . And another thanks to [yellow_craion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellow_craion/pseuds/yellow_craion), who helped a lot with the chapter!
> 
> You can come and talk to me on [tumblr](http://lewispanda.tumblr.com) . You can request a one-shot (even for this verse), or we can just talk about anything and everything.


	13. 3rd of June

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day later, but here it comes! I hope you will enjoy it.
> 
> I can't believe this fic is coming to an end. This is the first fic I wrote for posting (even though I published Lilith's Spell before this fic), and my biggest project. Thank you for reading up to this point, and I hope you will enjoy the final chapters.   
> Yes, I am already planning a few one-shots for this verse. xD And a completely new project. If anyone's interested in hearing about it, my tumblr ask box is always opened! Or you could ask in the comment section below.

“I’m really glad you could make it work. We’ve missed you like crazy.” Luke said to Alec, as they both sat on the kitchen stools, drinking coffee.

 

This house was one of Alec favorite places on Earth. The kitchen, dining room and living room were a huge, open plan. Half of the living room walls were either made of glass, or glass covered in panels with an intricate design, so when the sun streamed through it, it created beautiful shapes on the kitchen tiles. From where he was sitting, Alec had a perfect view of the trees in the garden outside, and Ben, who was drawing on the coffee table. They boy had refused to sit by the dining room table, or, at least, the kitchen island that Alec and Luke were currently occupying, and spread out his crayons all over the plush rug. He had told them he was working on a ‘secret project’, and that they should leave him alone.

 

It was all Maryse’ design. She worked as an interior designer, and every corner of the house spoke volumes about how much she loved her job. Everything was clean, not pristine - they both wanted for the furniture and appliances to look as if someone was actually using them. Their space was their temple, but it was also a place to meet with others, to laugh and cry, to  _ live _ . It was warm and welcoming, despite the cold hues that dominated, and Alec suspected it had more to do with the owners, than the soft fabrics they had used.

 

Luke and Maryse had bought this house after their children had moved out. They had no longer needed four bedrooms - one of them had been turned into an office for Maryse - so they sold the house and found a smaller one. It had a master bedroom, and a guest room for when Alec or Izzy would come back. The Lightwood kids rarely visited at the same time, but when they had, one of them camped on the couch. It was usually Izzy and Simon, since everyone insisted Ben needed to sleep in a ‘real bed’.

 

The kitchen isle would double as working space for Maryse and Luke, and whenever they needed some alone time, the guest bedroom also had a small desk one of them could use. They lived by the rule that no work should be done in the bedroom, and Alec envied them their strength - he had been guilty multiple times of filling out files in his bed, and that never ended well.

 

“We missed you too, dad.” Alec replied to Luke. He and Ben had drove here right after Will’s mom had picked him up, to spend as much of Saturday as they could with granny and grandpa. They hadn’t seen one another often, and Alec had known it would be the last call for such a visit for a while - Ben wouldn’t have summer vacation until almost the end of the June, and Alec would be extra busy with work for the next few weeks.

 

“What about me?” Neither man had realised when Maryse had entered the room and walked up behind Alec, to ruffle his hair. “You are in a desperate need of a haircut, honey. Maybe I should grab the scissors?”

 

“I’m not!” Alec twisted his neck, only to see his mother’ teasing smile. She hadn’t been serious this time, but she had cut his hair in the past. Alec didn’t wish to go back to those times. “We also missed you. I couldn’t wait to have your cooking again.” They would have to leave soon, so Maryse had promised to cook them a few things, and send them home with some tupperware containers. Alec and Ben had usually stayed for two days, but the Friday sleepover had messed up with those plans, and neither of them had as much of Maryse’ cooking as they would like. 

 

“You could come next month. Even leave Ben with us, for a week or two. You know that your father has plenty vacation days, that his superiors want him to use.” Maryse looked at her husband with mild-annoyance, but there wasn’t any heat behind her words. Alec would forever be amazed, by how much they still seemed to love one another - it was as if they had stayed in their honeymoon phase forever. 

 

“Dad? Granny? Grandpa?” Ben called out, before running to join them by the kitchen island. “I finished my project!” he announced proudly, then handed a sheet of paper to Luke.

 

“You have a true talent!” The man commented, before passing the drawing to his wife. “You should think about attending some art classes.”

 

“It’s really beautiful, Ben. I agree with your grandpa - you could have fun with those.” Maryse said. Alec stretched out his neck to steal a glance of his son’ work, so Maryse handed him the drawing. 

 

Ben preened under their praises, then looked expectantly at Alec. “It’s you!”

 

Alec looked at the colorful drawing, with slight confusion. It depicted a green dragon, with red and pink scales on his back. Next to it proudly stood three figures - a man wearing purple, a wizard, and a smaller man. Either a kid or a dwarf. He guessed that he was the purple man, although the hair color didn’t quite match.

 

“Did you put me in the same world as your wizard? What is my quest?” Every now and then Ben would go back to talking about his fantasy imaginary world, although now, most of the time, he would make up stories about aliens and astronauts. 

 

Ben rolled his eyes, as if his father was being ridiculous. “I told you. You never listen.” he huffed, and took the drawing from Alec’ hands. “The wizard gave the man a quest. He needs to find love before summer. The wizard follows the man, to see if he fulfills the quest. But, magic quests work mysterious way. They never expected to fall in love with each other.” Ben pointed out to the purple figure. “This is you.” Then, he slid his finger to hover over the warlock. “And this is Magnus. He is the warlock, who gave you the quest. The one you fell in love with. And he fell for you.” Alec could feel his mouth going suddenly very dry. Ben continued. “And this is me. I am an astronaut, and this is my alien dog.” The boy wiggled the piece of paper in front of Alec’ eyes. “We are a family. Me, you, Magnus and Sparkie. And our dragon, Aurora, that Magnus won’t actually eat.”

 

“Buddy.” Alec wasn’t sure how to phrase, what he was about to say. But it needed to be said. “Me and Magnus aren’t in love. We are just friends. Like you and Will.”

 

“No!” Ben pushed the drawing higher, closer to Alec’ face, as tears began to gather in his eyes. “You are. You are! And we are a family! You like boys, and he likes boys! And you are going to get married, and we will have a dog.” 

 

“Ben.” Alec’s voice became more stern. “I don’t love Magnus. He is going to go back to his home, soon. Live in Los Angeles, the other end of the country.” He tried to explain to his son. “We are not going to get married. We could meet a few times, over summer, but he has his family there, just as we have ours here.”

 

“You are stupid! I hate you!” Ben threw the sheet of paper at his father, then run away. Alec stood up to follow him, but Maryse pushed him back onto his seat. “Stay. He needs to calm down. Luke can go after him to see where he ends up.” The aforementioned man nodded at his wife, then left the room to search for his grandson.

 

Maryse’ hands on Alec arms were grounding. She stood behind him, wordlessly, waiting for him to calm down and be ready to talk. They could both hear Ben and Luke talking about something, then one of them closed the door, and everything went quiet.

 

When she felt his shoulders sag, she moved to take the stool previously occupied by Luke. “Alec?” She started.

 

He sighed deeply, then leaned down to pick up Ben’s drawing. Alec looked at it, studying the bright colors and steady lines, contemplating. Eventually, he spoke.

 

“It should have never happened. I should have never let this go this far. He will have his heart broken.” Alec kept avoiding his mother’s gaze, so she placed a hand on his shoulder. Even now, when he was a grown up man with his own child, she worried about him. He and Izzy were her beloved children, and she would never stop being their mother.

 

“From what I’ve heard, Magnus is an amazing man. I doubt there was anything you could do for Ben to like him less.” Maryse replied, tentatively. Alec had mentioned his friend a few times, but Ben could never stop talking about him. He was clearly in awe with the other man, already attached to him. Maryse was happy that her boys had someone to lean on and laugh with, and Magnus truly sounded like a great guy.

 

“He is. Oh my, he is.” Alec finally tore his eyes off from the drawing, only to stare at the light gray ceiling. “I don’t even have the words to describe how amazing he is. Talented. Kind. And so supportive of Ben. But it’s all my fault.” His gaze shifted towards the living room panels. “If only I wasn’t so selfish. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with him, and Ben got the wrong idea. Now, he’s going to suffer because of my own weakness.” 

 

Maryse stood up from her stool, to pull her son into a hug. Even sitting, he was still taller than her, but he buried his face in the crook of her neck, just like he had done when he had been a little boy.

 

“None of it is your fault, Alec.” She run her hands through his hair, keeping him firmly in place. She knew it was easier to talk like this, without having to look at each other, but having the comfort of another person close. “Needing or wanting someone doesn’t make you weak. One day, you will meet someone. And Ben might get attached, whether it works out or not. But you can’t keep yourself from being happy, just for his sake. One day it might damage your relationship with him.” Maryse said, softly.

 

“But he is the most important thing in my life. It’s my duty to protect him. I  _ want _ to protect him.” Alec mumbled. “I need to put his well-being before my needs.”

 

“Alec, it doesn’t work like that. You are both important.” His mother replied.

 

“But you have done just that. With dad.” Alec pulled back from her embrace, but leaned forward to be close to her. “I remember how long you have waited before you agreed to marry him.”

 

“Then you should also remember that Luke had been picking you from school, and taking you out for ice cream before dinner every Wednesday, ever since you were 5. And he kept doing that for years.” They both smiled at the memory. “He tried so hard to get you to like him.”

 

“Even though I already did.” Alec finished. Neither he nor Izzy had remembered their biological father - the first adult man that had been a permanent fixture in their life had been uncle Max. Then, Luke had come. Izzy didn’t remember the time before Luke at all, but Alec had a few foggy memories of just the three of them, living in the studio apartment. They would sleep on the pull-out couch, and mom would make toasts with jam every morning. They hadn’t moved out right after Luke had started coming, but Alec remembered his mom smiling brighter, and the circles under her eyes being less dark.

 

“Izzy had much harder time accepting him, because during his first visit, he stepped onto Mr Bunny-bun. He had to sit through so many cartoons with her, until she deemed him worthy of her attention.” Even as a child, Izzy had been stubborn, and hurting her favorite plushie had been a one-way ticket for you to become her enemy.

 

Maryse continued. “I was indeed reluctant to marry him, at first. And he respected it - would respect my decision, even if I told him I just wanted to stay his girlfriend forever. But it had nothing to do with you possibly getting attached. I didn’t keep him my dirty secret. I let you grow close. Wanted to see if you would both like him. I could never be with anyone who wouldn’t love you wholeheartedly.” Alec reached to squeeze his mother’s hand. She was a tough woman, who had been through a lot, and he admired her for her strength.

 

“When you first told me about Ben, I knew you could do it. You had it in you, ever since you were little. Always caring about the others, always loving and protecting.” She smiled warmly at him. “But I also hoped that one day, you will find someone who would be there for you. So you don’t have to do this alone.”

 

“You know that I’m happy, just me and Ben. That I have friends, and a loving family, and already feel complete. It was you who taught me and Izzy, that ‘other halves’ don’t exist - that we are already whole.” Alec reminded her. Maryse had taught her children many important lessons, and this had been one of them - to know their worth, and not measure it based on other people.

 

“I know. But you shouldn’t be afraid of having someone. I know you, honey.” She cupped his face, and he leaned into the touch. “You are a romantic. You want to love, and be loved, in a romantic way. To have a partner. And there is nothing wrong with that.” Maryse assured him.

 

“But he is going to go back to LA soon. He has his life there - his friends, his apartment, his beloved bakery. I can’t keep him here, and I can’t follow him there.” Alec voice was quiet, barely a whisper. “There is no scenario where this story has a happy ending.”

 

Maryse pulled her son into another hug. “I have a feeling that Ben won’t be the only one with a broken heart.” She felt bad for him - Magnus had been the first person he had gotten close to, since he had adopted Ben. It would be tough to let go of this crush. But, she hoped, Magnus had finally opened Alec’s heart, and her son would start looking for someone again. Or, at least give other people a chance. “I wish the circumstances were different. But they’re not. And no matter what happens, you should never give up on love. You should fight for it.”

 

They clung to one another for what felt like a very long time, just enjoying the comfort.

 

“It never gets easier, does it?” Alec asked, before untangling himself from his mother’ grasp.

 

“It never does. But, one day, you will experience this for the last time. And on your next try, you will find someone who will stay. It makes it worth to try.” She pecked his forehead, before leaning back. “Do you want me to talk to Ben?”

 

“No.” Alec wiped his tear-stained cheeks. He didn’t even remember crying. “This is something I have to do - for both of us.” He replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to my beta [enkelimagnus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/enkelimagnus/works)!
> 
> You can come and talk to me on [tumblr](http://lewispanda.tumblr.com) . You can request a one-shot (even for this verse), or we can just talk about anything and everything.


	14. 8th of June

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all-I'm sorry for the delay. College had started and it hit me /hard/ this year - I don't have much time to write. I'll try to have the next chapter up in 2 weeks, but can't promise anything. Also, there's Magnus Appreciation Month, for which I have a specific project in mind - hopefully you'll be interested, even though it's the opposite of fluff xD But no one dies this time. I also encourage you to participate and create more Magnus-centric content. He is an amazing character, who has a lot to offer.
> 
> Second of all-yes, there will be more chapters! 16, or even 17, not sure yet.
> 
> As always, I'd like to thank my beta for helping me out. *bows*

“But daaaaaaad.” Ben whined loudly. “It’s Friday! And we haven’t seen Magnus for a week!” He clung to the aforementioned man, not wanting to let go. It had been going like that for a few minutes now, ever since Alec had told his son it had been time to go to sleep. At first, the boy had been only arguing, but now he was glued to Magnus side, not wanting to let go. A part of Alec was grateful, that Ben hadn’t come up with an idea to go and hide. He was too tired to chase him around the apartment.

 

“And you still have to go to bed.” Alec moved to pick up his son and take him to his room, but Ben only hid behind Magnus.

 

“Half an hour! Pleeeeaaaseee. Please, please, please.” Ben argued, pulling at Magnus’ shirt. “I’ll be good! I will wake up before the birds do, and brush my teeth without complaining. And do my homework. And you will get more time with Magnus, too. Pleeeeaaaseeeee.”

 

“Ben, you know it’s time for you to go to sleep.” Alec replied.

 

The little boy had been moody all week, ever since that Sunday morning at granny and grandpa’s. He and Alec had a long conversation about Magnus, and although Ben had seemed to understand the situation, he still had been angry at his father for the whole week. He had refused to play catch in the park with him, had spent majority of his time at Josie’ flat, and his teacher had told Alec, that he hadn’t wanted to draw a picture for him during class. Alec had tried to talk with him again, but the boy had simply left the room every time.

 

“Noooo!” Ben screamed, when Alec tried to reach for him again. “No! Magnus will read me a story, not you. I want Magnus.”

 

Magnus had no idea how to react. He had missed those two men terribly, but he didn’t want to get in between them, or undermine Alec’s authority. He just stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room, looking at Alec for any clues on how to act, and occasionally glancing at Ben to see if he was okay. Or as okay as he could be in that situation.

 

Alec sighed, then closed his eyes and went silent. The man was glad that Ben felt comfortable enough to throw a fit - that he wasn’t afraid that disagreeing with Alec might get him back in the system - but his son’ behaviour for the past week had been draining him of energy. Ben wasn’t the only one affected by Magnus’ leave, and his demeanor had been a constant reminder for Alec, that soon he would only see Magnus when facetiming. Alec just wanted to enjoy what time they had left together - was it too much to ask?

 

The three of them standing close enough for Magnus to be able to reach out and place his hand on Alec’ shoulder. The other man counted to three before opening his eyes, and stared directly into Magnus’s.

 

It was cheesy as fuck, but Alec couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Magnus eyes were. Maybe it was because he had finally admitted to himself, that he had felt something for the other man. Or maybe because he was too tired to give a damn about not acting on his feelings. Either way, he just looked into Magnus eyes, without a word, thinking about how amazing they looked.They reminded Alec of some sort of crystal, clear and deep. Or a warm pot of coffee. The golden eyeliner, the one that seemed to be Magnus’ favorite, was untouched, even though he had rubbed his eyes once or twice. ‘Rough week’, he had said. The usual sparkle of creativity and joy were duller than usual, replaced by something Alec couldn’t name. But those brown eyes still looked soft, kind, welcoming...

 

“I could do that.” Magnus said, unsure. He didn’t want to make things worse, or overstay his welcome, but Alec had stayed silent for a long time, and Ben kept tugging at Magnus shirt - someone had to do something.

 

“Yeah. Yes. Please.” Before Alec could finish his sentence, Ben started to jump, while still clinging to Magnus. “If it’s not a problem. Obviously, you don’t have to…”

 

“But I want to.” Magnus insisted. He had seen Alec doing it a few times, and hoped he could do it right. Magnus wanted to have this opportunity, before he would have to fly back home, to have this memory and be able to go back to this night.

 

“Thank you. I’ll make you some tea, if you’d like?” Alec asked, trying to decipher whether or not Magnus was planning on staying here longer. He had hoped that being busy with work would help him clear his mind of this stupid crush, but the moment Magnus had entered his flat, his resolve to keep his distance had crumbled, and all he had wanted was to spend as much time as possible together. 

 

Before Magnus could answer, Ben started to pull him towards his room, so he only stammered a quiet ‘Please.’, before following the boy. 

 

Once inside, Ben jumped onto his bed, finally letting himself to yawn loudly. It had been a little past his bedtime, and he had been fighting sleep for the past 20 minutes, wanting to enjoy Magnus’ company for a little while longer. Both Alec and Magnus had seen his not-so-secret yawns, but had chosen to not comment on them until it had been time for the boy to go to bed. 

 

He pulled down the covers to get under them, then reached for his plush whale to cuddle.

 

The bedside lamp was already on, providing enough light to read a book, but not enough to keep Ben from falling asleep, so Magnus walk right up to the bookshelf. “What story would you like to hear?” He asked the boy.

 

Ben shrugged, although Magnus couldn’t see it, then rolled onto his side to face the man. “Magnus?” He waited for the man to look at him, before continuing. “Why can’t you stay with us?”

 

Magnus wasn’t expecting such question. He started to study the books, to give himself more time to think about the answer, but he could do that only for so long. He reached for one at random, knowing that no amount of time could prevent him from having that conversation with Ben, then moved to sit down on the plush carpet next to the bed. 

 

As soon as he sat down, Ben waved a hand in front of his face in some elaborate manner. “Now you can’t lie.” He explained. It brought a smile to Magnus face.

 

“As you know, I own a bakery. And it’s not my only one. Actually, the one in LA was the one I opened first. I only came here to oversee how the opening of Sticks and Scones would go.” Magnus started.

 

“You have been here for long. Your other bakery can live without you.” Ben stated, while fighting with his dropping eyes.

 

Magnus found it hard to fight with that rhetoric. “I also have my home and my family there. My friends.” Magnus continued. “I can’t leave them there. Would you ever want to leave your dad or Will?”

 

Finding an answer for that took Ben a moment. Magnus had begun to suspect the boy had fallen asleep, when he spoke again. “You could sell the house and move here. People move all the time.” Ben retorted. “And I can’t live with dad forever. Children move out, otherwise we would still be living with grandma and grandpa. And you could take your friends with you. Me and Will will live next door to each other, so we can play with each others’ dogs, and swap cereal in the morning. It’s economically efficient.”

 

“I can’t just expect Cat and Dot to leave their jobs and move here with me. It’s a lot to ask of your friends, of anyone, really.” Ben looked as if he wanted to argue, so Magnus kept on talking. “And the lease on the apartment I’m currently renting is ending. I would have no place to stay - I checked. No available places in acceptable price range in this area. And commuting to work from a far away place would take a lot of precious time and money. We would see each other less often, and not for as long as we do now.” There had been some truth to it. Magnus had indeed checked rental flats near, but none had looked to be in a good shape. And he couldn’t afford to pay more, because he also had to pay for his apartment in LA.

 

“You can live with us. Dad loves you.” Ben told him. “And I love you.” He added.

 

Magnus didn’t know what to say to that. He had seen some signs during their last ‘date’ - he had hoped he had read them right - of Alec being interested, but calling it ‘love’ might be a stretch. They had certainly grown close over the past two months, and feelings had been developed, at least by Magnus. But this wasn’t enough to make it work.

 

“You are a coward, just like dad.” Magnus turned to Ben, hearing his harsh accusation. “You love us and we love you, yet you are choosing to give up on us.” He rolled onto his other side, his back now facing Magnus. 

 

“Ben.” Magnus started. He slowly raised his hand, hesitating, then rubbed Ben’s back. “I do care about you. Both of you. But I need to go back.”

 

“You don’t.” Came the muffled reply. “It’s your decision, and you decided not to love us. Go away. We are better off without you.” 

 

Magnus took back his hand, as if it had been burned. Without another word, he left the book on the nightstand, then stood up and left the room. Maybe he should just get back home, and go to sleep. Tell Alec he’s not feeling well. A white lie.

 

But he didn’t have to explain anything. Once he walked out of Ben’s room, he was met with Alec, leaning against the opposite wall. He looked straight at Magnus, his brows furrowed, then lowered his gaze. 

 

“I guess you’ve heard enough.” Magnus said. He closed the door to Ben’s room, sensing that a serious conversation was coming, and not wanting the boy to overhear it.

 

They stood there. Magnus looking at Alec, and Alec avoiding his gaze. The awkward tension was almost palpable in the hallway, with no place to escape besides through the front door. But Magnus didn’t want to leave it like that. To leave everything unspoken. He didn’t want to ask the question - doubted knowing the answer would make any difference. But treating it as an elephant in the room was beginning to slowly suffocate him. 

 

And if Magnus Bane was one thing, he wasn’t a coward.

 

“Do you love me?” As soon as the question left his mouth, he knew it sounded ridiculous. But there was no going back now, and that knowledge already made him feel better. It could be either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. They would talk about it, and get it over it. He only hoped it wouldn’t damage their friendship.

 

Alec finally looked at him, before answering. “No. No, it’s much too early to say that I love you. But saying that I feel nothing for you would be a lie.” 

 

The answer hurt. And it hurt on so many levels. Because Alec didn’t love him yet. His feelings probably weren’t as strong as Magnus’s. But if he felt nothing, it would be easier. Now Magnus had to live, to  _ leave _ , knowing that there was potential for something. 

 

“If this was a romantic movie” Magnus said. “we would now declare our undying love to each other right now, then kiss under the night sky. But this is life.” A clean cut. Right now. A few words to end it, and have time to heal before he would have to go back. So they can stay friends. “You have your life here, and I have mine there. Whatever it is between us, whatever feelings we might have…” He did want to acknowledge that he also had feelings for Alec. So the other would know it wasn’t one-sided. “It’s not enough for us to drop everything and go for it.”

 

Alec didn’t know what to say. He eventually stammered a ‘yes’, but otherwise kept quiet. 

 

Magnus nodded, then spoke again. “I should get going.” He motioned towards the entrance.

 

“Of course.” Alec moved out of the way, even though there was enough space for them not to touch. It was such a contrast to them touching all the time, only minutes ago, that Magnus flinched internally. 

 

He unlocked the door, but before disappearing through them, he turned around to ask Alec one more thing. “I hope this didn’t make things more awkward than it should. I’d really like to see you drop by the bakery again.” Would Alec want to see him again? Would he ever invite him to his home after this? Or was everything ruined? Many questions run through Magnus head, and he waited for the answer, with his heart beating faster.

 

“Now everything is just out in the open. If you still want us here, we will come.” Neither of them knew whether or not it was a wise idea to see each other again, especially so soon after the events of that night. But they both wanted to do this one, illogical thing, if they had to follow logic and not try to pursue this relationship. A small, selfish thing, that may hurt them more in the end, but was a price they were both willing to pay. 

 

“I’d really like that.” Magnus replied, then turned around to walk through the door, but Alec’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.

 

“Text me when you come home safely?” It sounded like a question, so Manus nodded in reply, before disappearing down the hallway.


	15. An update

Just as the title suggests, this in an update.

I have not abandoned the fic. Life kept me busy (but in a good way), and I did some minor projects along the way. I have one more thing I need to finish, but I promise I will post the last chapter (only one - I decided to put the last chapter and the epilogue together) before 7th of January 2019.

Really sorry for how long it is taking me to finish this fic. I hope that the last chapter will make up for how long you had to wait.


	16. 22nd of June + the epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to thank my beta - enkelimagnus. She has been with me every step of the way, and I'm very grateful for that.   
> I would also like to say a huge thanks to yellow_craion - who was a beta for 2 chaptes of this fic. Her kind works and comments kept me going.  
> A huuuuuge (you don't even know how big) thank you goes to Poupounemma, Hishiroo, Francesca798, Cindy, Supreme_Fangirl and Adrianahombra - without you showing me that you were still waiting for the final chapter, I would have never finished it. So, I owe all of it to you. I hope the last chapter will make up for the time I made you wait.  
> I would also like to thank all the people who I haven't named here but who read that story, commented and left kudos. Thank you all for this amazing journey - and I hope we will see each other on a next one, soon.

“Magnus, why are you calling, again?”

 

“Oh, why, dear Catarina? I just needed to check up on how things were, since I’m coming back today. Are you sure you’ll be okay with picking me up?” 

 

“We’ve already went through this a thousand times. Yes, me and Dot are picking you up. We’ve missed you and we don’t want to spend any more time apart from you that strictly necessary.”

 

Magnus could feel the warmth spreading from his heart and a small smile finding its way onto his face.

 

“I’ve missed you, too. It’s been way too long,” he told his best friend. It indeed was a long time - whole 94 days since his bakery had opened, and even longer since he had last seen his two favourite girls. “I’d bring you cupcakes but I know I can make them fresh tomorrow. Or even today - there’s nothing stopping us from a short grocery trip. How do you feel about lemon and strawberry? Or apple cinnamon? Or - even better - spinach, buttercream and pomegranate!” 

 

“They all sound lovely,” Cat replied. 

 

“And how was your morning? No one called from work?” 

 

Magnus constantly found himself trying to play with his rings, only to find his hands bare every time - he had decided to pack all his jewellery to not have any problems at security, and not lose anything. 

 

As opposed to his hands, the bare walls weren’t unusual - during his time there, Magnus hadn’t hanged any photos or pictures. Yet, the sight of empty yellow walls felt oddly hostile, so he averted his eyes, looking at the patterned rug instead. At least now he could follow the swirls and lines with his eyes, which gave him something to do.

 

“Magnus? Magnus?” Catarina’s voice brought him back from his thoughts.

 

“Yes? I’m sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying about your morning? Oh, and tell me how’s dearest Dot!”

 

The silence that stretched on the other end of line made Magnus uncomfortable.

 

“I’m really sorry I didn’t listen…” Magnus started, but Cat interrupted him.

 

“It’s completely okay. I can see you have a lot on your mind. And since we’re friends, I can tell you this  - you’re stalling.”

 

“I’m...what?” He frowned, hearing those words. “I’m sorry, but you’re not making any sense right now.”

 

“It’s 7 am. We’re seeing each other today, and you know that every detail has been planned - from estimating the traffic to where we’re stopping for celebratory drinks, including the table reservation. And you’ve been asking different versions of ‘how are you’s’ for the past…” Cat stopped talking for a moment, to look at the time on her phone. “24 minutes.  _ 24 minutes _ , Magnus! We’ve talked  _ yesterday _ . Not a lot has changed since then.”

 

Magnus didn’t know what to reply, but thankfully his friend wasn’t done yet. “You know what I’m thinking? You’re stalling this conversation, because you want me to tell you to stay.”

 

That one word was enough to make Magnus heart beat faster, and he immediately felt deeply ashamed for his reaction, even if no one could know.

 

Cat’s voice took on a softer note. “Admit it, Magnus. You’re just waiting for someone to make that decision for you. To tell you that you can’t come back home, that your business needs you, or, even more directly, that you should stay with Alec. Don’t even try to deny it.”

 

Magnus closed his eyes, then slid down to sit on his suitcase. “I’m not.” 

 

He wasn’t. He couldn’t. He tried to, really - kept checking his phone for any calls or texts from his staff, telling him there was an emergency, or looking for emails or news about his flight being cancelled. He had told himself he had just been precautious. But now, when Catarina said it aloud, he could no longer lie to himself. “I couldn’t get any decent sleep last night. Whenever I closed my eyes, I kept picturing him knocking on my door or calling me. Telling me I should stay. Telling me...” Magnus couldn’t even say it aloud. “But it’s stupid. I was the one that told him this couldn’t work. I should just accept it myself and move on, before it will damage our friendship permanently.”

 

The last two weeks had been really hard. Magnus hadn’t realised how intertwined their lives had been, until Alec and Ben had disappeared from his almost completely.

 

They had still showed up on Wednesdays and Saturdays for their sweet treats, but Alec had stopped showing up on Mondays, to grab breakfast and lunch on the go. Even if their Monday interactions had been brief, Magnus used to wait with anticipation for the mop of dark, messy hair to appear among the morning crowd. One of those days, he had even told Alec that a sight of him brings him luck, and he had found himself oddly believing in it - once he handed Alec his sandwiches on Mondays, he knew the dreaded first day of a week would be wonderful.

 

But now those small pockets of happiness were gone.

 

The constant messages had also stopped. They had tried to go back to their long chat convos, as if nothing had happened, but they would always end just after a few texts, when they had found the conversation getting awkward - it being a sharp contrast to how it used to be  _ before. _

 

Sometimes Magnus wished they never had been  _ before _ and  _ after _ . Just a different timeline, not split into two by that dreadful day, when they had both voiced their feelings for each other, only to crush the possibility of getting together within the first few seconds. Magnus had come home that day, only to cry until his eyes hurt and his cheeks felt raw from wiping the tears. He had told himself he shouldn’t cry - that it had been the best option - but he just  _ couldn’t stop _ . Screw logic and screw everything else - he had been heartbroken.

 

“Hey, there.” Catarina’s gentle voice came from the other end of the line.

 

“Have I told you about Father’s Day? Of course I have, silly me.” Magnus berated himself and hunched forward, cowering his face with his hand.

 

“I have a whole day off, Magnus. I have time to listen to it again.” 

 

Cat had that amazing ability to care for people without it feeling like pity, and Magnus doubted he had ever appreciated that talent more than in that moment.

 

“You probably know how they usually don’t come on Sundays - but last week it was the Father’s Day. Ben came rushing through the door, pulling Alec behind him,” his tone was both fond and sad. “He told him to wait by their usual table then run to stand in the line, vibrating with excitement. I served our customers at the top speed - I had a feeling Ben would burst if he didn’t get to the counter soon.”

 

“He brought his own pocket money to buy Alec a small cake for Father’s Day. He picked out the carrot one with the yellow flowers and edible pearls.” Of course Magnus had remembered such small, unimportant details. It was Ben he was talking about, after all. “He even brought his own candles that Garth lit up. I hate when he smokes during breaks, but his lighter did come in handy.”

 

“Then Ben carried it all the way to Alexander. And, Cat, you should have seen his face. Alec was so happy. He was glowing and grinning like an idiot, while the other customers were watching. I was positive he would actually cry at some point, but he held it in.” Over those months, Magnus had learned to know Alec well. He knew how much Ben meant to him, and how much Ben  _ being comfortable with calling him a father _ meant. “And Ben just...he hopped onto a chair and started to sing ‘Not all heroes went capes’. You know, that Owl City song?”

 

Magnus smiled at the memory.

 

“And when Alexander was distracted, he came to me, with a slice of cake. And wished me ‘Happy Father’s Day’. And I just - I…”

 

Cat put him out of his misery, by cutting in. “Dot told me about your little conversation last week. She found the fairy tale comparison very charming.”  _ It’s not a fairy tale, _ he had told her.  _ It’s not a fairy tale, but I want them in my life. _ “But I have to disagree with you. Because not all fairytales need to be about a charming prince saving a princess. Sometimes they are about someone being there for you when you save yourself. What you have with Alec is clearly worth fighting for. And you still have enough time before you need to be at the airport - what are you doing at your apartment, moping? Go and talk to him!”

 

Magnus nodded, even thought she couldn’t see it.

 

\--------

 

He wasn’t home. Of course Alc wasn’t home - he had to take Ben to school and go to work. Magnus was too late.

 

All of the hopeful excitement that had been building up in him during the cab ride just left him all at once, making him feel drained. He should just go straight to the airport and wait at a cafe for his flight, but he had no desire to do so - so he did the only ‘logical’ thing and just sat down on his suitcase, in the middle of the corridor.

 

That was it. He would come back home and they would remain friends.  _ Hopefully _ , they would remain friends. 

 

Magnus didn’t even have the strength to worry or be sad - he just slumped against his baggage and stared at his shoes.

 

If only he hadn’t been so cowardly - Ben might have had apologised for his words, but Magnus wasn’t so sure they weren’t accurate. There were ways to make it work but Magnus had chosen to overlook them in favour of going with the safe option. If you don’t try, you can’t be hurt. Of course letting go of his feelings hurt  _ badly, _ but it was nothing compared to getting attached then having to let go.

 

Who was he kidding? He was already attached. He knew all of Ben’s friends, and his allergies - he thought about the boy whenever he was trying to come up with a new recipe, judging it by whether Ben might like it. Magnus might also have had googled possible kid-friendly attractions in LA, hoping to convince the Lightwoods to come over for a week in the summer.

 

And Alec? Whenever Magnus closed his eyes, he could perfectly recall the way his face had looked at that bar - the sound of his laughter, and the way he held onto his straw while drinking a pink cocktail. He knew his darkest fears and biggest dreams, and all the small details in-between. And Alec knew his in return.

 

The elevator bell rung.

 

“Magnus! Thank fuck!.” Alec’s voice was loud and clear, and before Magnus could take a proper look at the other man, he was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. “I, fuck, you’re here.” Magnus could feel Alec’s chest heaving and him breathing heavily down his neck - he could also smell faint traces of sweat - but neither this nor the two strong arms holding him was enough to assure him all of this was real.

 

“Alec?” He asked, before wrapping his arms back around the other man. 

 

“You’re here.” Alec tightened his grip for a brief moment before letting go - yet, his hands kept touching Magnus’ arms. “Let’s get you inside?” It sounded more like a question and Magnus jolted upwards so suddenly he almost tipped over his suitcase.

 

Soon, they were standing in the entryway, door locked behind them. Alec made a move as if he wanted to bolt forward and wrap Magnus in another hug, but his arms only jerked weakly next to his torso, and then he actually took a step back and glued his back to the wall.

 

“I feel the need to explain myself, why I’m here,” Magnus started, motioning towards his suitcase. 

 

Alec nodded, but then raised his hand to stop him. “If you could just let me say one thing. I’ve been gathering my courage to say this, and I’m afraid I will lose it once...you know.” He made a weird gesture then sighed. Magnus did not know what he had meant, but motioned for him to continue.

 

“I have been thinking about it. A lot. About us and our situation.” Alec looked straight at Magnus and held his gaze. “And I know it’s far from ideal.”  _ This might be an understatement of the year _ , Magnus thought. “But I like you. I really, really like you. And I feel like we’ve build something here - it’s not as if we would go into it without any previous relationship. You have become a part of my life and my family - and I hope that me and Ben has become a part of yours.”

 

“Of course you have,” Magnus murmured - and he could see Alec smile softly.

 

“You are very important to me, to us, and I don’t want you to leave before hearing  _ this _ .” Alec pushed himself off the wall and straightened his posture, his eyes still locked on Magnus’. “I want to fight for us and make it work. I don’t expect you to drop your life and move in with us - me and Ben could move to LA. I know it’s too soon to decide, but I’ve been checking different job offers there. Maybe at first I wouldn’t earn as much but they still pay plenty - and if the comments on different forums are true, there are constantly new opportunities for climbing up the ladder in my sector. And there are many great schools to choose from. I know that we won’t be able to visit mom and dad as often and that Ben would miss them and his friends, but he is an amazing boy - he would make new friends, and he would see Will whenever we visit granny and grandpa. He loves them but he also loves  _ you _ . A lot.”

 

Alec tentatively reached for Magnus’ hand - the first body contact they had made in two weeks. “I was a coward. I shouldn’t have let you get out of that door in the first place, not before we discussed it. Not before I told you how I felt. So, if you say yes, I will d o everything in my power to make it work. But if you disagree, then I will respect your wish, and hopefully remain your friend.” Hazel eyes traveled to their joined hands for a split second, and when they looked at Magnus again, he could see longing in the m.

 

Magnus didn’t realise that some moisture had gathered in his eyes, so he dabbed at the corners of them before replying. “Of course I want it. I want it more than anything.” Alec squeezed Magnus hand and stepped forward, closing the gap between them. “That’s why I came - I didn’t want to get onto my flight without telling you in person what you mean to me - and that I want to fight for us, too. All of us.”

 

“Can I kiss you?” Alec asked, breathless.

 

“I expect nothing less,” came Magnus’ reply.

 

A warm hand cupped his cheek and Magnus leaned into the touch, to savour the moment. Deep inside he knew that there will more kisses to come, and that - with time - he would forget what this one felt like. Still, he wanted to latch it onto his memory to be able to replay it until the next time they see each other.

 

He closed his eyes just before Alec’s lips touched his. The close-mouthed kiss lasted only a few seconds, because they both were grinning too widely to make it work, yet it was one of the best kisses Magnus had ever had. Something about it just felt  _ right _ .

 

Alec’s hand remained on Magnus’ cheek after their lips broke apart, and he rested his forehead against Magnus’. “I’m really sorry that you didn’t have your movie moment, with me running after you through the gates at the airport and kissing you in front of the hundreds of strangers after declaring my undying love to you. In my defense, I  _ was _ rushing back home to grab my phone and call the work that I won’t be coming in today, then order an Uber and drive to the airport.”

 

Magnus chuckled at Alec’s admission. “Thank fuck that you didn’t have to follow that crazy plan - what if you were late? Or couldn’t find me in the swarm of bodies? Instead of a romantic moment, we would have a lot of awkwardness, until one of us would break the silence and tell the other he wants to be a couple.” 

 

Alec’s grin widened at that term, and Magnus could swear his hazel eyes were shining.

 

He leaned back to look at Alec properly. “But I do need to go soon \- I have a plane to catch,” he reluctantly admitted, then wrapped his arms tightly around Alec. “I will  miss you, tho.”

 

“I will miss you, too. But we do have Skype and FaceTime, you k now?” Alec teased. 

 

“And I do hope that you will visit me in LA during summer. We could put Ben in the bedroom and take the couch - trust me, once you sleep on that thing? You will never want to go back. I will bake you fresh English muffins every morning, and you could cook that delicious chicken of yours again. I also have a balcony with an amazing view, where we could eat breakfast or have a tea in the evening. And you could meet Cat and Dot - you’ll love them.”

 

“It’s a plan.” Alec confirmed, and it calmed down Magnus’ anxiety a little bit.

 

And it wasn’t love, not yet. But it was a start.

\-------------------------

**9 YEARS LATER**

 

“We have to be  _ quiet _ ,” Magnus whispered, trying to close the door behind them without making a noise. “Your dad is home.”

 

“It’s not as if he isn’t going to eventually find out!” Ben whispered back, cradling the small, fuzzy ball to his chest, under his jacket. “I don’t think we need to act like we’re committing a crime.”

 

Magnus rolled his eyes. “All those years really taught you nothing. It’s not about whether or not your dad will find out - it’s about how we deliver the information. It’s a whole art, and the first rule is  _ prep him first _ .”

 

Ben snorted, then made a grossed-out face. “Dad! I did not need to know that. I’m your so- hey Dad!”

 

The lump under Ben’s jacket meowed.

 

Alec was standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall. His glasses were sliding down his nose but he made no move to fix them, instead choosing to cross his arms and look displeased. His eyes darted between his husband and his son, and eventually landed on whatever Ben was trying to hide.

 

“Can someone explain to me what is happening? Preferably in the living room,” Alec motioned towards the aforementioned room with his head and kept his eyes on Ben and Magnus throughout their entire walk of shame, until they both were seated on the couch.

 

Ben pulled out a small kitten from under his jacket and placed the animal in his lap, making a puppy-dog eyes at his father. “We found him in a cardboard box on the pavement. He was the only one left and the passerby were just ignoring him. We couldn’t just leave him there - it’s cold outside and he had no food. Beside, finding homes is what we do, right dad? You were the first one to open your heart and welcome a stranger into your family, and we were just following your example. No one should live without someone to love them.”

 

Magnus had to admit - Ben’s little speech was amazing. The boy clearly knew how to pick the right words to convince others to do anything for him.  _ He should run for the president _ , Magnus thought fondly with a tad of sarcasm.

 

And Magnus could see it in Alec’s eyes. He knew his husband well - from the moment he had laid his eyes on the kitten he had been hooked, but Ben’s words helped to melt away the rest of his reservations.

 

“So it’s a he.” Alec stated, coming closer to take a better look at the kitten.

 

“We don’t know yet.” Magnus finally spoke up. “We have only just found him.”

 

Ben reluctantly let his father pick up the kitten and cradle it to his chest. The little fella yawned and all three man cooed.

 

“Google the address of a few nearest vets and pet shops. And go find an old blanket - it should be in the closet. We don’t want this cutie to pee on the car upholstery, do we?” Alec ordered Ben, while scratching the kitten under its chin.

 

“So we’re keeping him?” Ben asked, excited. 

 

“We are. But first me and dad need to get him checked out, while you do your homework.”

 

Ben was about to protest but Alec raised his eyebrow to silence him. “Think of it this way - we do all the dirty work while you do your homework and once we get back you’ll be able to give him all your undivided attention. Or her.”

 

Magnus watched Ben leave the room, then stood up and wrapped his arms around Alec’s middle from behind. He sneaked a peak at the kitten over Alec’s shoulder - it was starting to fall asleep.

 

“I never would have thought I would adopt another baby, nearing my 40’s,” Alec commented quietly, not wanting to interrupt the animal.

 

“You don’t look a day over 29, love,” Magnus replied and Alec tilted his head to kiss him sweetly.

 

“My husband is a real smooth-talker. His words are as sweet as his pastries.”

 

“It’s only because he knows a true piece of art, when he sees it.”

 

Alec shook his head, but his grin was too wide to hide. He knew they could go at it for hours. “I love you, Magnus. With my whole heart.”

 

“I love you, too, Alexander,” came the reply before their lips met again.


End file.
